Photo: Nate Congleton

Your boy J.P. shared a stat today that worries me: Alex Ovechkin has just one assist during even-strength play this season. As I’ve been ranting all season [no, seriously, a lot, a whole bunch, really], the Ovechkin line has been a one-dimensional threat. Luckily, that single dimension happens to be the best goal-scorer on Earth, so it’s not so bad, but it could be much better.

Alex Ovechkin has fired 91 shots during 5-on-5. He’s scored 11 goals for a solid 12.08% shooting. But while he’s on the ice, other Caps have fired 133 shots, resulting in just one goal. One. That’s 00.75% shooting. Wow.

Are Capitals not named Ovechkin just really, really unlucky at 5-on-5? Are they giving all the good shot opportunities to Alex and keeping fewer dangerous chances for themselves? I don’t know, but I doubt this will last much longer. Percentages that abysmally low can’t sustain, and we’ve already seen Marcus Johansson increase his personal shot output: .  The goals will come– moar of them, and then we’ll see a real multi-dimensional threat from Washington’s top line.