The Art Ross Trophy winner in 2020, Leon Draisaitl, recently observed that 36-year-old Alex Ovechkin “continues to get better if that’s possible” and is “turning into a pass-first guy now which is kinda scary.” He’s not wrong.
Wednesday night, Ovechkin had his 14th multi-point game of the season, tallying a goal and an assist in Washington’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Ovechkin tallied his 274th power-play goal in the second period, tying Dave Andreychuk for the most PPG of all-time. Then in the third, Ovi brilliantly assisted on a buzzer-beating goal by Conor Sheary to send the game to overtime.
ON THE WAY DOWN! pic.twitter.com/MdrwcBREmd
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 16, 2021
Those two points allowed Ovechkin to leapfrog Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid for the second time this season.
#ALLCAPS Alex Ovechkin now has 46 points through 29 games (21 G, 25 A), passing Leon Draisaitl & Connor McDavid for the #NHL lead. He had just 42 points in 45 games last season (24 G, 18 A).
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) December 16, 2021
We have movement in the NHL scoring race. 👀
For the first time in more than six years, @ovi8 paces the League in points past his opening game of the season. #NHLStats: https://t.co/wjUeZNTa8q pic.twitter.com/Fk04auE9eE
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 16, 2021
Via Capitals PR:
The last time Ovechkin led the League in points was on March 20, 2015. Martin St. Louis in 2012-13 (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Bill Cook in 1932-33 (New York Rangers) are the only two players in NHL history to conclude a season as the top point getter at age 36 or older.
While Ovechkin’s scoring rates have slowed slightly since the end of November, he’s still on pace to score 59 goals and tally a career-high 71 assists in a full 82-game season. The 130 points would be a career-best and put him in contention for the Art Ross for the second time in his career.
Ovechkin already has more points than he scored during the 2020-21 season, where he struggled through a lower-body injury and a stint in COVID protocol. Through 29 games this season, Ovechkin has 46 points. In 45 last year, he had 42 (24g, 18a).
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) December 16, 2021
