Adam Oates and Blaine Forsythe may be the Capitals coaches who get most of the credit for Alex Ovechkin’s power-play success, but the Russian forward’s first bench boss in the NHL, Glen Hanlon, was the first to plant the seed of what would eventually become “Ovi’s Office.”
The revelation was made by the Philadelphia Inquirer after reporter Jackie Spiegel conducted an interview with former NHL goaltender Martin Biron — a veteran of 16 NHL seasons who won 230 games as a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Rangers.
Biron’s younger brother, Mathieu, spent the 2005-06 season — Ovechkin’s rookie year — with the Washington Capitals. The towering defenseman had a career year offensively with the Caps, mostly due to a five-day stretch in December 2005 (Dec. 22 through Dec. 27).
“Three games in a row right around Christmas in ‘05, my brother scored a power-play goal, left flank one-timer,” Biron said to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Then he showed up at practice one morning, after scoring in three consecutive games, and the power play is all reworked, and Ovechkin is in that spot.”
Up to that point in the season, Ovechkin had 21 goals through 34 games — 9 of which came on the power play. Meanwhile, those three consecutive power-play goals for Biron marked 25 percent of Biron’s total goal output (12) in his entire career.
“[My brother] is like, ‘What the heck,’” Biron said. “Glen Hanlon was the coach, and he said, ‘Well, I want to try Ovi there. I think it would be a really good spot for him. You’ve had some good looks, so let’s see what happens with Ovi. And then Ovi scored in consecutive games on the power play after that, and my brother never saw that spot again.”
Not only did Mathieu Biron never see the left circle on the power play again, but he’d never score another NHL goal before moving on from the league at the end of that season.
Ovechkin’s power-play goals in consecutive games came on December 28 against the New Jersey Devils and December 31 against the Philadelphia Flyers. However, neither of those tallies came on one-timers or from his office. The PPG against the Devils came on a rebound near the far post, while the goal on the Flyers was the result of a great individual play from the right circle.
Years later, Ovechkin’s lethality on the power play was further enhanced when Forsythe was brought in as an assistant coach, and Adam Oates installed his 1-3-1 power play formation. For over a decade since, Ovechkin has found success by pounding huge one-timers from the left circle, beating goaltenders with his powerful shot even though they know exactly what’s coming.
Ovechkin currently has an NHL record 321 power-play goals, 47 more than second-place Dave Andreychuk. Ovi’s brilliance on the man advantage has helped put him 7 goals away (888) from breaking the NHL goals record of 895.
Mathieu Biron, thank you for your sacrifice.
