ARLINGTON, Va. — Alex Ovechkin’s road to becoming the first player to score 900 NHL goals has been a slog through the first month of this season.
The NHL’s all-time leader in goals has scored twice in the Washington Capitals’ first 12 games, including none in the past four, leaving him stuck on 899 heading into a visit from the St. Louis Blues at Capital One Arena in Washington on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, MNMT, truTV, TNT).
But Ovechkin is doing his best not to get frustrated.
“Yeah, a little struggling,” the 40-year-old forward said Monday. “But overall, we just have to stick to the plan and keep working and eventually you will score.”
Ovechkin didn’t go more than three games without scoring a goal last season and tied for third in the NHL with 44 despite missing 16 games with a fractured left fibula. That included scoring his 895th goal to overtake Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most in NHL history on April 6 at the New York Islanders.
But the goals have not come easily for the Capitals captain thus far this season, his 21st in the NHL. This is his second four-game goal drought, including one to start the season.
He’s hoping his next goal will start one of his hot streaks that helped him break a record most previously thought was unreachable. Ovechkin had six goals during a five-game goal streak that culminated with his record-breaking goal.
“Sometimes you can’t score like five or six games, and then you score 10 games in a row,” he said. “So yeah, we’ll see.”
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery views Ovechkin’s early-season struggles as emblematic of Washington’s problems producing offensively as a team. The Capitals (6-5-1) are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for 26th in the NHL by averaging 2.58 goals per game and have scored only five goals in their past four (0-3-1). Washington was second in the League last season with 3.49 goals per game and finished first in the Eastern Conference (51-22-9).
Ovechkin, the NHL record holder with 326 power-play goals, usually drives the Capitals power play, but he has yet to score on the man-advantage. Washington is 26th in the League at 15 percent (6-for-40).
“Overall, 5-on-5 I haven’t minded his game overall through the first 12 games,” Carbery said. “Power play has been an issue, and that’s a product of our whole power play as a group. So, I think that negatively affects him.
“When he’s not getting opportunities, [offensive]-zone time, his shot off, scoring chances, you name it, it’s not a good thing.”
Ovechkin acknowledged that missing about a week of training camp with a lower-body injury potentially contributed to lack of production so far. He returned for Washington’s final two preseason games, but his timing still appears to be off 12 games into the regular season.
“Of course, it [stinks] when in training camp you try to get in shape and you miss the ice, you miss off-ice workouts,” Ovechkin said. “But right now, you just have to catch your timing and, obviously, you don’t have to think about it much. As soon as you start thinking about, ‘Well, you scored two goals in 12 games,’ or whatever, you’re just going to put pressure on yourself. You don’t have to do it. You just have to go out there and do as much as you can and the best that you can for your team.”
Each of Ovechkin’s goals this season — against the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 17 and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 24. — came on won face-off plays in the right circle. He’s had games where he’s had multiple chances but was unable to finish.