Alex Ovechkin’s goal total has stalled, but the reasons go beyond a simple age-related fade.
The Capitals’ captain has one goal through 17 games, with that lone marker coming on October 11 against the Seattle Kraken in Washington’s fifth game of the season. Since then, the goals have vanished, and the pace he’s on now is nowhere near the kind of production fans have come to expect from the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer.
A big part of the slowdown is volume. Ovechkin has taken just 28 shots in 17 games, which works out to about 1.65 per game.
Last season, he was averaging nearly three shots a night. At that same shooting rate, this year’s shot total would have put him at 18 goals, even before accounting for the two extra games the NHL added this season.
That drop in attempts is tied directly to his usage. Ovechkin is averaging 13:46 of ice time per game, more than three minutes below last season’s mark.
Less ice time means fewer chances to shoot, and his role on the power play has also been trimmed. In recent years, he regularly logged the full two minutes on the man advantage from his spot on the point.
Now he often gets only about half of that, and there have been times when he’s sat out power plays entirely.
His deployment has changed, too. Washington isn’t leaning on him in the same old setup, with Ovechkin spending more time roaming in the offensive zone and parking near the post instead of waiting in the circle for the familiar feed. His only goal this season came from just feet above the crease, and most of his near-misses have come in tight.
There’s also a roster dynamic at work. The Capitals have more scoring depth now, and that has taken pressure off Ovechkin. Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner have combined for 22 goals so far, which has reduced the need for Ovechkin to carry the offense or stay on the ice for extended power-play stretches when Washington is chasing a goal.
That’s a shift from the recent past, when the Capitals needed him to pile up goals. Two years ago, he scored 44 goals in 65 games while the team leaned on him heavily in both the chase for Wayne Gretzky and the push for a playoff spot. Even last season, with Washington missing the playoffs and dealing with the loss of key forwards, he was still asked to produce.
Ovechkin has also always been a streaky scorer. He’s been written off before, including back in the Dale Hunter-era of 2013, only to respond with goals in bunches. So while the numbers are down, the chances haven’t disappeared completely - he’s just been a little off so far.
The assists are still there, though. With his next one, Ovechkin will pass longtime linemate Nicklas Backstrom and become the franchise’s all-time assist leader. That would give him the lead in almost every major offensive category in Capitals history, even if he has never been known as a pure playmaker.
And unlike the chase for Gretzky’s record two years ago, this season has a different feel. It’s a defined farewell tour, with the regular-season finish line already in sight. The goodbyes are set to start building next week in Tampa, then continue through a Western road trip in December and into the stretch run after the All-Star Game, when the attention is expected to ramp up even more as Washington tries to climb back into a playoff spot.
So the dip in goals isn’t coming from one clean explanation. It’s age, reduced ice time, a smaller power-play role and a deeper Capitals lineup all feeding into the same result. And while Goal No. 950 looks like a long shot right now, finishing in single digits this season would still come as a surprise.
In Other News...
Capitals Catch Devils With A Blue-Line Problem At The Right Time
The Devils blue line has been under pressure for a while, and the latest update only adds to the uncertainty. Johnathan Kovacevic was moved to injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 10 after hurting his ankle against the Winnipeg Jets, and New Jersey has had to keep shuffling bodies just to stay afloat on defense.
Anton Silayev was recalled from Utica as a precaution, giving the Devils another option while they manage the absences already forcing Vladislav Kolyachonok into action. For Washington, it is the kind of opening worth watching closely, because a depleted back end can change how a game is played long before the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]