Photo credit: Igor Kleyner

Alex Ovechkin had a pretty good night at the rink Tuesday. The Washington Capitals captain almost single-handedly (okay, Nicky and Grubi helped) dragged the team out of the 3-0 hole they had dug. Four goals and an avalanche of hats later, Ovi’s night to remember was in the books. And that outrageously awesome tying goal celly – was Alex the Great going for a swim at center ice?  Showing off a triple Salchow? Channeling his inner Superman? Whatever it was, it must have been something Alex devised ahead of time and saved for a special occasion, right?

Well, maybe not.

GIF by Ian Oland

“No, it was all just an accident, I just fell down,” Ovechkin told me in his native Russian language after the game. “I jumped up, and as I was landing on the ice, I ended up on my toes, and I just slipped. That’s all.”

So there you have it. A goal scoring bonanza a la 2009 – but instead of another hot stick-like stunt, just a meek jump with a flubbed landing. Somewhere in Canada, Don Cherry nods in approval. Unless he is too preoccupied with dead hawks and black squirrels.