Sure, Alex Ovechkin may have some odd tendencies, but we all know he’s a very smart human being.

And Thursday after the Capitals’ morning skate, Ovechkin had a quote straight out of Star Wars that at first might have you scratching your head.

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Without Loss You Cannot Win:@ovi8 summoning his inner Yoda but it sounds like a T-shirt to us.

👀 @russianmachine pic.twitter.com/pBbyd91G6e

— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) April 18, 2019

“Without loss you cannot win,” Ovechkin said.

That quote seems odd when taken in the present tense. For instance, the Washington Capitals can’t both win and lose Game Four at the same time. So what the heck is Ovi talking about?

What I think Ovi is saying is that you can’t truly succeed without overcoming adversity. If you think about it, Ovechkin’s entire career is predicated on rising above tragedy and overcoming adversity. For instance, Ovechkin’s older brother Sergei introduced and encouraged him to pursue hockey. At the age of 10, Alex lost his older brother following an accident.

That moment in time was excruciating for the Ovechkin family and could have derailed Alex from ever becoming a success in the sport. Instead, it gave Ovi the drive to become one of the greatest hockey players of all-time. Last August, Ovechkin named his first son Sergei after his gone-too-soon brother. He also kisses his glove and points it to the sky after every goal. He’s done it over 650 times.

The Capitals lost 5-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday in one of the most thorough beatings they’ve incurred during the 2018-19 season. But to Ovi, without that devastating loss, you can’t have the drive to win.

Well said?

Full RMNB Coverage of Game Four

Headline photo: @NBC4Sports