Sport by recreation, Alex Ovechkin is chipping away at Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal-scoring report.
Now with 879 profession objectives, 16 away from surpassing Gretzky, he’ll look to maintain it going when the Washington Capitals host the Utah Hockey Membership on Sunday afternoon.
Ovechkin has scored in 4 straight video games to convey his season complete to 26, placing him on tempo for 45 objectives. Ought to he preserve that tempo, it might be the 14th time in his 20 NHL seasons that he is reached the 40-goal mark. His 0.68 goals-per-game charge this season is the fifth highest of his NHL profession — and he is doing this at 39 years outdated.
Washington coach Spencer Carbery believes there’s much more to return from his captain, who missed 16 video games with a damaged leg from mid-November to late December.
“I believe his greatest hockey is to return within the season,” Carbery stated. “… In my head, at 39 years outdated, lacking that period of time and making an attempt to return again and get caught up within the Nationwide Hockey League. I believe that is actually, actually onerous, and I noticed a distinction in his particular person recreation. I believe he’ll look even higher popping out of the break.”
The Capitals head into Sunday’s tilt with an opportunity to tie the Winnipeg Jets for first place total within the NHL. They’re coming off a 4-3 win towards the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, stretching their level streak to 5 video games (3-0-2).
Sunday would be the closing recreation for each groups forward of the league’s pause for the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from Wednesday by means of Feb. 20. The Capitals are one in every of two groups with none illustration on the match.
“A psychological break is gigantic for us at this level within the yr,” defenseman John Carlson stated. “Guys which might be a bit banged up and injured, it’s going to assist them too. However principally the way in which I take a look at it’s simply the psychological. Form of get away from the day-to-day stuff and are available again re-energized and invigorated to complete the yr robust.”
Utah arrives within the nation’s capital seeking to bounce again after a 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. It dropped the membership again to the NHL’s model of .500 on the season, the place it has been for many of the marketing campaign.
Regardless of the middling report, Utah is eight factors shy of the second wild-card spot from the Western Convention.
“I appreciated our dedication on offense, I like the way in which we competed on offense,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny stated. “I believe we have been too quick on element defensively. All in all, we gave up an excessive amount of on offense for them.”
It has been a battle offensively this season for ahead Lawson Crouse, who sits at 12 factors (eight objectives, 4 assists) by means of 54 video games. He is on tempo for simply 12 objectives after surpassing 20 in every of the previous three seasons.
The Utah alternate captain was scratched Tuesday towards the Flyers earlier than re-entering the lineup Thursday towards the Columbus Blue Jackets. He scored simply his second objective up to now 15 video games.
“I maintain myself to a better stage and normal,” Crouse stated of being scratched. “… Clearly, it is unlucky however I’ve bought to play higher. It is on me.”
–Area Degree Media