Does someone want to remind Alex Ovechkin he is 36 and soon to be 37? The first overall pick of the 2004 NHL draft just scored his 50th goal of the season, again, for the ninth time in his career with the Washington Capitals.
Alex Ovechkin has been putting up a lot of goals for a long time in the NHL. He has won nine Maurice Richard Trophies for most goals in the league, and he has amassed 780 goals over the course of his 17-year career thus far.
Ovechkin hit the 50-goal mark again, and the question now is can do he it again?
I am not going to count him out. Pierre McGuire already did that in 2013 and Ovechkin has put up 50 goals five times since then.
Pierre McGuire, asked if he thinks Ovechkin is capable of ever scoring 50 goals in a season again: "No. I do not." (cc @ngreenberg)
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) January 29, 2013
Alex Ovechkin has scored 50 goals nine times in his career, three players have done that in the history of the league Ovechkin, Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy. The scary thing is this is already a category Ovechkin should own considering he has been two goals or less away from 50 twice in the past few seasons. In 2017-18 he had 49 goals and in 2018-19 he put up 48 before the COVID pause.
Ovechkin has had one heck of a career so far and it is not slowing down at any rate. The soon to be 37 year old continues to find different ways to score goals and get involved despite changing the way he plays the game the older he has gotten.
Now the Washington Capitals are gearing up for a playoff run – a championship they won back in 2018. While I am sure a championship is on their minds. The big thing in Washington has to be getting Ovechkin to the 894 mark of goals during the regular season to tie and hopefully beat Wayne Gretzky.
Two more 50 goals seasons and a bit of change the next year will get Gretzky there for what it is worth. Washington’s next game is tonight against the Arizona Coyotes.