Following a 49-goal season, Ovechkin will also be the recipient of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer, his NHL-record seventh Richard Trophy. Ovechkin is tied with Bobby Hull for the most times a single player has led the NHL in goals in a season. This postseason, the Moscow, Russia, native captured his first Conn Smythe Trophy and became the first Russian player to captain a Stanley Cup champion.
Teammates over the last 11 seasons, Ovechkin and Backstrom are the longest-tenured players on the Capitals. Of Ovechkin's 509 goals since the 2007-08 season, Backstrom's rookie season, Backstrom has recorded an assist on 220 of Ovechkin's goals (43.22 percent).
This postseason, Ovechkin recorded 27 points (15g, 12a) and scored 15 goals, breaking John Druce's goal total (14) in the 1990 playoffs for the most in franchise history. In addition, Ovechkin's 15 goals are the second-most goals by a Russian-born player in a single postseason in NHL history (Pavel Bure: 16, 1994). Ovechkin tied Sidney Crosby (2009, 15 goals) for the most goals in a single postseason over the last 10 seasons. Ovechkin, who is fourth among active players with 61 career playoff goals, is tied with Phil Esposito, Jacques Lemaire and Mark Recchi for 28th in NHL history. Ovechkin's .504 goals per game average is the eighth-highest rating in NHL history among players with at least 110 playoff games played. Among the top 10 active career playoff goal scorers, Ovechkin ranks fourth, and his 0.504 goals per game ranks first among players on that list. In 121 career playoff games, Ovechkin has 117 points (61g, 56a) and ranks first in franchise history in playoff games played, goals, points, power play goals (21), power play points (50), game-winning goals (8), shots (546) and second in assists. Ovechkin became the third player in NHL history to score 600 career regular-season goals before winning his first Stanley Cup (Luc Robitaille: 620 goals before 2002 Cup; Dave Andreychuk 634 goals before 2004 Cup). Additionally, Ovechkin became the 16th player in NHL history to play at least 1,000 career regular-season games before winning his first Cup and the second to do so with the team for which he has played at least 1,000 games (Steve Yzerman with Detroit). He also became the ninth player to have 1,000 career points before capturing his first Cup.
Nicklas Backstrom recorded 23 points (5g, 18a) in 20 games this postseason. Backstrom has earned 98 points (31g, 67a) in 116 career playoff games and ranks first in franchise postseason history in assists and second in goals and points. Backstrom recorded 50 assists this season, marking the fifth-straight season that he has recorded at least 50 assists. He's the only player in the NHL to currently have five-straight 50 assist seasons. Since 2007-08, Backstrom ranks second in the NHL in assists (590) and ranks second among active NHL players (min. 300 GP) in career assists per game (0.72).
Backstrom was drafted by Washington in the first round, fourth overall, in the 2006 NHL Draft. He was the first player from the 2006 Draft class to reach the 500-assist plateau and also ranks first among players drafted in 2006 in points (799). The Gavle, Sweden, native became the 10th Swedish-born player in NHL history to reach 500 assists, joining Nicklas Lidstrom (878), Henrik Sedin (830), Mats Sundin (785), Daniel Alfredsson (713), Daniel Sedin (648), Borje Salming (637), Peter Forsberg (636), Henrik Zetterberg (549) and Thomas Steen (553). Backstrom is the second-fastest Swedish-born player in NHL history to reach the 500-assist plateau (691 GP), trailing Forsberg (551 GP) and the second-fastest player to reach 500 assists among active NHL players, trailing Sidney Crosby (554 GP).
