Alex Ovechkin scored in consecutive games for the second time this season, but if you ask him, his power-play goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, wasn’t exactly how the team drew it up.
While skating with the second unit, Ovechkin rotated up to the right point as if he were a second defenseman. Rasmus Sandin exchanged passes with Anthony Mantha on the left side of the ice before the slick-skating Swede slid the puck over to Ovi.
Then it happened.
Appearing to try and hit Connor McMichael for a redirect in the bumper spot, Ovechkin missed his intended target and instead shot the puck into the far side of the net for career goal number 830. His floater beat Pens goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic — the 172nd netminder he’s scored on in his career.
“It’s accident,” Ovechkin said to the media postgame. “I was there, so. But we take it right now.”
Speaking to ESPN’s Ryan Callahan postgame about being at different spot on the power play, Ovechkin said, “No, it’s just a lucky situation and we take it and we move on.”
Tom Wilson, after giving what felt like a canned quote to the media about Ovechkin, was reminded that the captain accomplished the same feat at practice the day before.
The conversation went like this:
Bailey Johnson: Goals in two straight games for Ovi now. How nice is it for y’all to see him start clicking?
Tom Wilson: Yeah, I mean, you can see him, and once he gets a few, he’s a guy that can get really hot and floodgates can open. So he’s always super dangerous for us and it’s nice to see those go in. So hopefully he keeps flying and ripping them in.
John Walton: Super dangerous from the right point too, which you noted in practice yesterday.
Tom Wilson: Did I?
John Walton: Yeah.
Tom Wilson: Did he score from there?
[Someone starts cackling in the background.]John Walton: Yeah, got it in practice, got it in the…
Tom Wilson: He did? Ah… you were paying closer attention than me. I don’t remember that but, yeah, all good.
While the goal was unintentional, Ovechkin lining up in different positions — such as the high slot with the second power-play unit — has been a goal of Spencer Carbery’s to try and keep other penalty kills guessing. On New Year’s Day, the Capitals had Ovi practice on the right side higher up in the zone.
“Just trying some different things,” Carbery explained after the skate. “Seeing as we continue to evolve with the group, look at different options. Find different ways to, no different than I’ve said all year of trying to keep teams off balance, so we’ll see if we use it [against the Penguins]. But we’ll continue to look at different things while we find a groove on the power play.”
In the Capitals’ happy, victorious locker room after the game, Carbery gave a shoutout to the team’s man advantage, saying “power play steps up on that fourth goal!”
Ovechkin could be heard in the background yelling, “it works! it works!”
Back in the win column#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/q8L3Rg92Hu
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 3, 2024
While the 4-3 victory wasn’t beautiful or even remotely a full 60, the Capitals found a way to win and were all smiles afterward.
“Best start of ’24,” Ovechkin said beaming. “New year, new start! We’ll take it.”
Screenshot: Capitals/X
