Ovechkin’s physical play inspiring Capitals entering 2nd round vs. Hurricanes 

ARLINGTON, Va. – Watching Alex Ovechkin deliver hit after crushing hit in the Eastern Conference First Round against the Montreal Canadiens like he was in his mid-20s again provided another reminder of what the Washington Capitals captain is capable of at 39 years old.

“Crazy is one way to put it,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said Monday. “I mean, you can throw a whole bunch of different words into the middle, and I don't think anybody knows. If they had the blueprint, they'd be making ‘Ovis’, and I don't see that happening.”

The Capitals are happy there is only one Ovi and the Carolina Hurricanes might be as well by the time they finish the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Second Round, which opens with Game 1 at Capital One Arena in Washington on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS). In addition to leading Washington with four goals against Montreal, the 6-foot-3, 238-pound left wing tied Wilson for second on the team with 19 hits in the five games -- one fewer than Brandon Duhaime.

“He has the ability to change the game with a hit, with a goal, with a big play, with a blocked shot,” Wilson said. “That's what leaders do. They step up in the tough moments and put their body on the line. And he's done that every single game and year that I've been here.

“So, we know he's our leader and he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the momentum and build momentum on our side.”

Ovechkin, of course, passed Wayne Gretzky for the most regular-season goals in NHL history when he scored his 895th on April 6 against the New York Islanders. That was the 42nd of Ovechkin’s 44 goals this season, which tied Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres for third in the NHL.

Remarkably, Ovechkin is third with 3,743 regular-season hits since he entered the League in 2005-06, when the NHL began tracking hits, and is the all-time leader in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 660. Ovechkin has acknowledged that he’s had to tone down his physical play in recent years during the regular season as a concession to his age. But when the playoffs begin, he starts delivering crushing body checks with regularity again.

That was evident from the start of the series against Montreal, when Ovechkin had four hits in the first period and a total of seven in Washington’s 3-2 overtime victory in Game 1. Ovechkin also had two goals and an assist in that game, including his first NHL playoff overtime goal.

“I think in the playoffs everything is changing, like intensity, speed-wise, physicality as well,” Ovechkin said. “So, yeah, sometimes in the regular season you don’t want to hit, but in the playoffs you have to make a hit because that guy can beat you up the ice and he can score a goal.”

When Ovechkin is closing in on the forecheck, the possibility of being hit by him can make defensemen rush their decisions with the puck, which can lead to turnovers. A well-timed hit on a forward can delay him from joining a rush offensively when the puck heads in the other direction.

“First of all, it makes them conscious of when he's on the ice, not just when we have the puck like they're accustomed to,” center Dylan Strome said. “But when they have the puck, they've got to be aware of where he's at at all times because he can blow guys up pretty good. He's obviously a smart player and a player that can do a lot of damage when we have the puck, but also you saw in that Montreal series that he can do a lot of damage when we don't have the puck.”

Ovechkin’s hitting also can set the tone for the rest of the Capitals to follow his lead or bring the home crowd back into the game if they’ve fallen behind. Defenseman John Carlson said Ovechkin also has set an example for the rest of the team with his attention to other details in his game during the playoffs.

That could prove important against Carolina, which can pin teams in the defensive zone with its relentless forecheck.

“He's not just trying to score goals and light up the goalie,” Carlson said. “He's making defensive plays. There was a big sequence in our D-zone in Game 5 at the end of the second period that he comes up with a huge block on [Lane] Hutson. They had a good shift going. You look back at those plays when the captain's doing it or a guy like him, that resonates with everybody.”

Ovechkin demonstrated against the Canadiens that he can turn back the clock during the playoffs, and the extra rest from having five days off since the Capitals closed out that series with a 4-1 Game 5 win Wednesday should be helpful for him to recharge his battery for the next round and, he hopes, beyond.

This is the first time Ovechkin and the Capitals have reached the second round since they won the Stanley Cup in 2018, and he appears determined to make the most of the opportunity.

“This is the most fun time of the year,” Ovechkin said. “You work through all the summer, though the whole year, 82 games, and this is it. This is the final step and it’s a hard one.”