Chandler Stephenson and Andre Burakovsky found love in a hopeless place on Thursday.
During Game Six between the Avalanche and Golden Knights, the former teammates hugged it out while a feisty scrum happened in front of them.
Alex Ovechkin is a dangerous goal-scorer. And a dangerous goal-hugger. The 239-pound wrecking ball of joy has had some big hits when going in for hugs, but miraculously, none of his teammates have been seriously injured by the friendly fire.
In honor of National Hugging Day, let’s look back at some of the best violently-affectionate hugs that Ovechkin has bestowed upon his poor unsuspecting teammates.
By Brennin Weiswerda 5 years ago
Monday night, the Capitals survived a last-minute onslaught by the Carolina Hurricanes. With seven seconds left, defenseman Matt Niskanen blocked three straight shots after Jay Beagle lost a crucial defensive zone face-off, one of just four he lost all game. Niskanen’s sacrifice, Beagle’s faceoffs, and Philipp Grubauer’s staunch defense helped secure a 2-1 win at RBC Center.
If it seems like this this team can’t lose right now, it’s not because of excellent shot suppression or smart systems, it’s due to extraordinary efforts like Niskanen’s and Beagle’s and Grubauer’s becoming commonplace lately.
The standard on-ice celebration after a win would be the skaters congratulating the victorious goalie one by one. Instead, tonight, quite appropriately, the Caps held a big group hug in the defensive zone.
