NHL Eastern Conference finals
Do Ovechkin’s Capitals finally have right mix?
Alex Ovechkin’s Washington teammates might not be counting on him to be the difference in Wednesday’s Game
7 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals against the Lightning as much as he is counting on them.
The one noticeable difference between today’s Capitals and past Capitals teams is that Ovechkin seems to believe the mix is finally right.
Those teams arguably boasted more talent, but this team seems to have the swagger, confidence and urgency that past teams lacked.
While Ovechkin is still the team’s face and most important player, the Capitals’ identity has been broadened beyond his ability.
Look at Game 6 when Ovechkin had no points and the Capitals recorded a
3-0 win to stay alive. The story in that game is the Capitals outhit the Lightning by a 2-1 margin. Their physical play, and Ovechkin is an important contributor to that, was a critical aspect of the game plan.
The advantage of hitting isn’t intimidation. It’s about creating energy and wearing down the opposition. Tom Wilson leads all playoff competitors with 67 hits. Devante Smith-Pelly has 66, Ovechkin 61 and Brooks Orpik 59. Even T.J. Oshie has 50 hits.
While Ovechkin’s strong offensive contributions (21 points in 18 games) have received considerable attention, his center Evgeni Kuznetsov has been even more productive. Kuznetsov leads all playoff scorers with 23 points.
And no one is more important Washington’s success than defenseman John Carlson, who plays 25-plus minutes a night. He might log 27-28 minutes in Game 7 if it is close.
The Capitals have a power play clicking at 29.8%, plus goalie Braden Holtby with a 2.16 goals-against average, Nicklas Backstrom as one of the NHL’s top playmakers, Oshie with a history of scoring important goals and Jay Beagle with a 63% faceoff percentage and a reputation as one of the NHL’s best role players.
Lars Eller stepped up when Backstrom was out with an injury. Brett Connolly, Jakub Vrana and Chandler Stephenson have all made important plays during this Capitals’ run. Everyone seems to have made a key play or two at the right time this season. Isn’t that how Pittsburgh won two Stanley Cups in a row?
That certainly wasn’t what was happening to the Capitals in recent years when every playoff was marked by a disappointing exit.
Ovechkin has played like a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate in these playoffs. Maybe one reason Ovechkin has raised his level is he senses this is one of his best chances to win a Cup.
Today’s Capitals seem to have more collective strength than Washington teams we’ve seen in the past. Everyone seems to understand and appreciate their roles. Ovechkin clearly sees that. If you listen to him talk, you can feel the respect he has for this group. He’s been a quality leader. He has driven hard to the net, barreled over opponents, blocked shots and scored goals. Maybe he’s inspired by how well his teammates are playing.
It’s not all on him whether this team wins or loses Game 7. It never should have been anyway.