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Ovechkin leads lively Caps to dramatic win
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FOUR-TIME National Hockey League goal scoring champion Alex Ovechkin rose to the challenge of leading the Washington Capitals over Chicago 3-2 in Thursday’s Winter Classic outdoor game in Washington.
Now the 29-year-old Russian right wing might just be ready to captain the long-struggling squad into the role of Stanley Cup contender.
“The bigger the stage, the bigger Alex is. He’s a rock star,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “Alex has this ability, as great stars do, that you want to keep your eyes on him. That’s what’s star power does. The bigger the stage, the more Alex stands up to it.”
Ovechkin scored his 18th goal of the season in the first period and assisted on Troy Brouwer’s game winner with 12.9 seconds remaining in the third as the Capitals answered after squandering a 2-0 lead to delight most of a crowd of 42,832 at the home stadium of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals.
“The whole day was unbelievable. It has been outstanding,” Ovechkin said. “The atmosphere on the ice since the first second was unreal. It’s something we’ll keep for all our lives.
“I just like when I play against great teams, and especially if it’s a great atmosphere. I always have fun but this is one of the special days. I’m pretty sure that everybody is going to remember this moment for a long time. It’s a great feeling.”
It’s the sort of emotional lift that can help a Capitals team in its first season under Trotz’s guidance. He is the fifth Capitals coach since Ovechkin was the team’s top pick in the 2004 NHL Draft and an instant playmaker with a knack for electrifying plays and spectacular goals.
But the Capitals have not advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs since Ovechkin arrived, notably making a first-round exit in 2010 after compiling the best record in the NHL regular season.
Trotz has made defensive work a priority, and that, combined with a solid scoring lineup — Washington has six players with 10 or more goals — has made the Capitals tougher to beat. They have 19 wins in 37 games and points in 12 of their past 13 contests.
“I’m happy in a lot of areas of progress,” Trotz said. “The thing we have been really good at this year is, when we get off the rails a little bit and we lose our focus, we’re able to get back and find ways to win.
“We can be really resilient and we play to the end. A lot of effort has gone into it. I think our group has grown. We’re finding out a lot about guys.”
The past few weeks leading into the outdoor spectacle have helped, Trotz said. “It has actually helped us learn a lot about ourselves — dealing with pressure, dealing with situations building up to this game and learning to deal with all the distractions,” he said.
“I was really worried how our focus would be, and we came out with really pretty good focus. We’re maturing as a team.”
Ovechkin, known for delivering hard hits as well as his scoring skills, has come away empty in the quest of hockey’s top prizes: the NHL crown and Olympic gold for Russia after flops last year in Sochi and in 2010 at Vancouver.
But Trotz is impressed by him. “A lot of people want to tear him apart, but how many superstars have scored as many goals, put people in the seats, play as physical as Alex Ovechkin,” Trotz said. “There’s not very many. And that’s what makes him unique. He has been a pleasure to coach and very easy to coach.”
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