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Calder Trophy favorite Alexander Ovechkin is on the cusp of scoring 50 goals and recording 100 points in his rookie season.
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In search of No. 50
By John Kreiser | NHL.com columnist
Apr. 10, 2006
Alexander Ovechkin is stuck on 48 goals. But neither he nor his coach is worried about whether he'll become only the fifth rookie in NHL history to reach the 50-goal mark. The Washington Capitals' rookie sensation hasn't scored a goal in his last six games, including Saturday night's 5-0 loss to the New York Islanders. That matches his longest drought of the season. Should he get the milestone goal, he'll also become only the second rookie to get 50 goals and 100 points in his first season. Teemu Selanne, who had 76 goals and 132 points for the Winnipeg Jets in 1992-93, is the other. Despite the drought, he says he's not pressing. "We're playing hard, but we're not winning," says Ovechkin, whose team has lost its last four games, including one in overtime and one in a shootout. "I'm looking forward to the next couple of seasons, to play in the playoffs. We're just beginning.  John Kreiser, who has covered the NHL since 1975, is NHL.com's man behind the numbers. His column appears each weekend on NHL.com.
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"One player can't do everything. I have great linemates -- (Dainus) Zubrus and (Chris) Clark. They do a great job giving me the puck in the right place. I have lots of time to make decisions and score goals." Caps coach Glen Hanlon is impressed with the way his star rookie approaches the game and says Ovechkin isn't obsessing about reaching the 50-goal mark. "I don't think he's pressing," Hanlon says. "He's playing his butt off. He's doing everything he can to help the team win. Alex tries this way in practice, he tried this way in Game 1, and if Alex gets to the last game of the season and he doesn't have 50 goals, he's not going to shed a tear. He's all about winning the Stanley Cup. He plays hard. He wants to score every night." Ovechkin also says he's not consumed with the quest for goal No. 50. "That's like asking who's better, me or (Sidney) Crosby," he says when asked if he thinks about reaching the milestone. "Everyone talks about it, but I'm just trying to concentrate on my game. I try not to think about it." As he closes in on the end of his first NHL season, Ovechkin says he's largely happy with the way things have gone -- except for missing the playoffs. He's made the transition from Russia, his homeland, to North America as smoothly as anyone could have hoped for. His 48 goals include perhaps the most spectacular one scored in the NHL this season -- he flicked the puck into the net on Jan. 16 in Phoenix while roiling on the ice. He also had the game-winning tally for Russia in the game that eliminated Canada from the Olympics, after which Wayne Gretzky, the Coyotes' coach and the executive director of Team Canada, said of Ovechkin, "He's the most exciting player in the game." Owner Ted Leonsis is thrilled with the way the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 Entry Draft has adapted to the NHL.  | |
Since drafting Ovechkin, the Capitals are thrilled with everything the Russian phenom has done on and off the ice.
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"Alex has exceeded our expectations both on and off the ice," he told washingtoncapitals.com. "It is a great and sublime pleasure to watch him play hockey, but it is a greater pleasure to know him and to see him interact with his teammates and the Washington Capitals' community and fan base. Alex has exceeded our expectations both on and off the ice. Ovechkin has made himself at home in North America, though not without some adjustments. "First of all, it's a different language -- everyone talks English," says Ovechkin, who requested a North American roommate in order to learn the language faster. "Only Zubrus spoke Russian, so if I have some problems, I go to Zubie and he helps me out." The style of play also differs from what he faced last season in the Russian Super League, where he played against a lot of NHL players during the 2004-05 lockout. "It a big difference playing here as opposed to Russia," he says. "Last year I played in Russia and a lot of NHL players came there. It's different hockey, you can't compare here and Russia." With the NHL season winding down and no playoffs in sight, Ovechkin has one more goal in sight: He'd like to help Russia win the World Championship, which begins later this month in Latvia. "The World Championships means a lot because I was born in Russia, my family was born in Russia, and I love my country," he says. "I look forward to playing for my country if I'm asked. I'm happy to represent Russia in a world tournament." For now, he's just hoping to help the Capitals to finish strongly. "This is a great team, great guys," he says. "We're only just beginning."
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