Ovechkin revels in Cup

this summer will take the Cupback home to Moscow.

After that, the next challenge starts. Ovechkin adjusted his training methods a year ago in Russia, and he seemed rejuvenated when came back to the Washington area.

Now he has to do it all over again with a happily shorter summer.

“As you’re getting older, we’re going to have to train a little different so you become the athlete you always have been, because these young kids can absolutely fly,” Trotz said.

Ovechkin looked as if he was flying all season, from seven goals in his first two games to one on the power play Thursday night in the Cup clincher against the Vegas Golden Knights. But goal-scorers don’t typically keep up this pace — Ovechkin was already the oldest player to finish first in goals since Phil Esposito in 1974-75.

“He was very comfortable and he was very confident,” longtime teammate Nicklas Backstromsaid.

“He was really calm. Everything was really good. It’s impressive the way he scores goals and the way he worked out there. He was just a machinethere in the playoffs.”

Owner Ted Leonsis said recently his only regret about signing Ovechkin to a $124 million, 13-year deal is that it wasn’tlonger.

With three years left at a salary-cap hit over $9.5 million, Ovechkin already has exceeded the expectations of that monster contract with three Hart Trophies, seven Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies and now the playoff success that had long eluded him.

“We worked so hard through all the years and we were together,” Ovechkin said. “It’s just like a dream.”