Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history.  The 33-year old has been a rather controversial figure over the last decade in the NHL.  Love him or hate him, Ovechkin has had a very memorable NHL career.

THE LENGTHY JOURNEY TO THE STANLEY CUP

Ovechkin’s journey to winning the Stanley Cup was long, but it finally ended in 2018.  After many playoff years that ended in disappointment, Ovechkin led his Capitals to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

The 2004 1^st overall pick has recorded 636 goals and 1,165 points in 1,035 games.  Ovechkin has recorded an outstanding 29 goals in 32 games in 2018-19.  Ovechkin’s Hall of Fame career is showing no signs of slowing down.

REFRESHED AND REJUVENATED

Ovechkin has always carried himself with leadership and he shows plenty of excitement on the ice.  When a goal is scored on the ice for the Capitals, Ovechkin’s love for the game is showed.  Whether it is his goal or a fellow teammate’s goal, Ovechkin gets very excited.

Last week, Ovechkin scored back-to-back hat tricks against Detroit and Carolina.  He followed it up with another goal over the weekend against Buffalo.

Check out his latest hat tricks to see his excitement level:

MONKEY OFF THE BACK

Ovechkin is on a goal-scoring tear in 2018-19, and he will very likely hit around 60 goals at the current pace he is going.

In today’s NHL, it is tough to score goals.  The goalies are big, agile, and wear mammoth-sized equipment.  In addition to the goalies, today’s NHL defensemen are big, strong, and very mobile.  When one takes these things into account, it is impressive what Alex Ovechkin can pull off.

While Ovechkin has always been great, and has always carried the “great” mentality, he looks like he is enjoying himself a little bit more this year.  Ovechkin looks very loose on the ice.  He looks even more confident after winning the Stanley Cup.  The pressure has decreased on Ovechkin for the first time in a long time.  While there is still the pressure to repeat as a Stanley Cup Champion, this pressure is not as great now as the pressure was to win the Stanley Cup for the first time.

The excitement in Ovechkin’s game has always been there, but it is showing even more this season.  Ovechkin no longer has to wonder and worry about winning a Stanley Cup.  The doubts and the fears of not winning a Championship are no longer there for him.

While Ovechkin’s journey to winning the Stanley Cup was lengthy, it was well worth it for him in the long run.  Ovechkin is a fierce competitor, and he will never lose that “winning” mentality in his hockey career.

By: George Foussekis