Alex Ovechkin has seven goals and seven assists through 18 games. That’s a 33-goal, 32-assist pace, which would be by far the lowest point total (65 points) of his career. Last year he scored 32 goals – 14 below his previous low. But he still had 53 assists and a respectable 85 points in 79 games. What’s the problem? We’ve all heard the theories from around the locker room and the league. For his part, Caps coach Bruce Boudreau isn’t seeing anything different from his star left wing.
“We look at the numbers and the numbers aren’t good,” Boudreau said. “But the opportunities – like when we were growing up and what we always tell the players ‘Start really worrying when you’re not getting opportunities.’ And [Ovechkin] had eight shots on goal [Saturday]. And I think five the night before [against Winnipeg]. And four [vs. Nashville]. So he had 17 shots on this trip. Eventually when he shoots that many pucks they’re going to start going in.”
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Could be true. Ovechkin is certainly capable of catching fire at any time. Let’s say he goes for two goals and three assists in his next two games (Phoenix, Winnipeg). That puts him on pace for 36 goals and 40 assists after 20. Is that worth a $9.5 million salary-cap hit? Maybe not. But it does show Ovechkin isn’t that far away from a “normal” pace, either. But he needs to keep putting five and six shots on goal every night. The four total he managed in a pair of games against New Jersey last weekend isn’t going to cut it – especially if his shooting percentage is going to hover around its current 10.4%. That’s better than last season’s 8.7%. But it’s also a 302-shot pace, well off even last year’s career-low 367. Do the math: 10.4% of 302 shots is 31 goals. Hard to find anyone who would call that a successful season for Ovechkin unless he made them forget by catching fire in the playoffs. Ovechkin himself doesn’t seem interested in publically exploring his scoring woes with much depth.
“No. I think, again, sometimes you just shoot the puck from the blueline and it goes in,” Ovechkin said. “Sometimes you just shoot puck at the empty net and it misses the net. How you see, the Nashville guy miss [Craig Smith] the empty net [last Thursday vs. Toronto]. Everything can happen. Right now all the group shooting pucks from everywhere and the puck just doesn’t want to go in.”
The reference to Smith’s mortifying gaffe was amusing. Don’t think for a second these guys don’t watch all the highlight shows. But if the puck doesn’t want to go in for Ovechkin it’s on him to figure out how to do some convincing. He has not scored a goal in four games – just the second time in his career that’s happened. The first? Feb. 15-21, 2007. Ovechkin has been held without a goal in three straight games just eight times. Let’s give Boudreau the floor again:
“The one thing I’ve noticed about [Ovechkin] is he’s so unselfish. He did the same thing – he’s coming down the wing in Winnipeg, great open shot and he passed to [Nicklas Backstrom]. And then in Nashville he did the same thing and he passed to [Troy] Brouwer. He’s going to give it to the guy he thinks is open. And because the focus is so much on him, everybody is attracted to him. And he gives good passes and just right now they’re not going in. You could see the frustration on our faces yesterday. When he had that bang-bang power play from Brooks [Laich] in the corner that’s an in 98 out of 100 times. And the night before he’s coming down the slot and he takes a shot and it hits [Winnipeg goalie Ondrej] Pavelec in the knob of the stick. That’s in. That’s when it’s 1-0 and it makes it a 2-0 game. He’s probably feeling a little frustrated right now. He’s great in that he doesn’t show it to you guys. But it’s not for lack of will or trying or doing any of that. He doesn’t like the attention when it’s not positive just like nobody else.”
We’ll see how Ovechkin does Monday night against Phoenix, one of the NHL’s most disciplined, structured teams. But the Coyotes are allowing 33.8 shots per game, 29th in the NHL, and last year were at 32.6 (28th). That hasn’t translated into a ton of goals for the opposition. Phoenix was 13th last season (2.68 goals/game) and ranks 13th right now (2.39 goals/game). Still, the best advice for Ovechkin right now: Shoot. The Puck.
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