LAS VEGAS | The script was the same for the past two seasons for Alex Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals. A tremendous regular season but an early exit from the postseason. Ovechkin and his Capitals earned the Presidents’ Trophy this season, but were knocked out of the playoffs by eighth-seeded Montreal in the first round. Both seasons also ended with Ovechkin winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP. On Wednesday, Ovechkin’s personal trophy case might need to be expanded once more since he is again a nominee for the Hart to be awarded at the NHL’s year-ending awards ceremony in Las Vegas. “It takes everything out of you,” Ovechkin said of the postseason defeats. “Right now, relax and get ready for next year and training camp. Every year, you get more experience. You want to forget about it and worry about next year. It’s life.” Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks are the two other nominees for the Hart. Sedin ended with 29 goals, 83 assists, while both Crosby and Ovechkin tied with 109 points. Crosby had 51 goals to Ovechkin’s 50. On the flip side, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith won Olympic gold for Canada in Vancouver in February, and then helped Chicago to its first Stanley Cup since 1961. He is a nominee for the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the best defenseman. “It’s a pretty neat accomplishment,” Keith said of winning the gold and the Stanley Cup. “I felt fortunate to be on a team with a great group of guys.” Keith is nominated with Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings and Mike Green of the Capitals. Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy for the outstanding rookie. “It feels good. It’s a very big honor,” said Myers said, who was nominated along with Colorado’s Matt Duchene and Detroit’s Jimmy Howard. “It’s nice to be put in that group.”
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