ARLINGTON | Alex Ovechkin has not missed many games during his two decades in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, and that remarkable durability is one reason why he is fast-approaching Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record.
The Capitals had lost 33 of their 59 games without Ovechkin in the lineup during his first 19 seasons, including 23 of 36 over the past decade. In stark contrast to that, going into Thursday, they’d won six of nine since the 39-year-old captain was sidelined by a broken left fibula — a testament to a roster built not only to help him break the record but prepare the organization for the post-Ovechkin era.
“Ovi, he’s a legend, he’s special, he’s always going to probably lead the team in goals and we’re a better team with him, but we’re also a team where I think we’re not necessarily maybe relying on one or two players to win games,” said center Lars Eller, who rejoined the team in a trade from Pittsburgh a month ago. “We have four pretty strong lines, three D pairs and two good goalies. We don’t depend on one or two individuals, and I think that’s the strength of the team.”
Depth fortified by the additions of centers Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Eller, wingers Andrew Mangiapane, Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh, defensemen Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy and Rasmus Sandin and goaltenders Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson over the past few years has been the key to remaining a playoff contender.
Longtime general manager Brian MacLellan, who after the most recent makeover this past summer handed day-to-day duties to Chris Patrick and moved upstairs as president of hockey operations, excelled in keeping Washington’s winning window open with Ovechkin in the second-to-last year of his contract. Veteran defenseman John Carlson said the infusion of talent “really lit a fire under everybody.”
The Capitals led the Eastern Conference when Ovechkin got injured Nov. 18, and going into Thursday night’s matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they were still atop the East — more than three weeks into his absence. Fourteen players scored a goal over that stretch, which included six wins and an overtime defeat after losing the first two without him.
“We’re a deep group,” said right winger Tom Wilson, the team’s leading scorer since Ovechkin went down, with nine points on five goals and four assists. Wilson expects to continue playing with a shield protecting his face after breaking a small bone in the sinus cavity area on the left side. “Everybody’s kind of stepping up on any given night. It’s a real group effort, and I think guys are really playing for each other.”
Carlson, who along with Ovechkin, Wilson and now Eller upon return are the only players left from Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup championship team, also sees it as a case of younger teammates taking advantage of this chance.
“There’s the colossal emptiness of it, but there’s also a lot of opportunity for guys who would never otherwise be there when he’s on this team,” Carlson said. “When someone goes down, it’s obviously always kind of a rallying thing where guys need to step up, guys need to fill in and play bigger roles and play more minutes. But I think the way that our team’s built is depth, and that’s been our strength this year is kind of contributions from everybody.”
Ovechkin led all players with 15 goals when he went down, and the Capitals were the high-scoring team in the league at 4.33 goals a game. Before Thursday’s contest, they were still leading the league, though down just a tick to an average of 4.04, and their 16 goals from defensemen were a big reason for that after ranking second-last in blue line production last season.
“We’re playing to our structure and doing what we want to do out there,” said Chychrun, who has eight points in nine games as part of an impressive start to his contract year. “We’ve got a D corps where everybody’s a really good player on that back end and can play in all situations and two-way guys and guys who have contributed offensively throughout their career.”
Another major defense is second-year coach Spencer Carbery, who acknowledged the structure and playing standard as a good place to start but pointed the credit to veteran leaders like Carlson, Strome, Wilson and Nic Dowd for shepherding the Capitals through Ovechkin-less hockey.
“They don’t go around the room and go, ‘Hey, we’ve got to do more, guys,’” Carbery said. “They don’t announce it, but what they do is they think about it and go: ‘OK, we’re missing him. I’ve got to step my game up and I need to bring more.’ And that’s not just on the ice, on the power play, on 5 on 6 when we’re defending a lead. It’s not just the Xs and Os. It’s in the locker room. It’s energy in practice. It’s all the things that he brings every day when he’s in the lineup and when he’s practicing.”
Ovechkin skated before practice Wednesday and got an assist from longtime running mate Nicklas Backstrom, who stepped away 13 months ago because of a lingering hip injury. Carlson quipped, “I think Ovi wanted someone with a little more skill passing him the rock out there.”
The day is coming soon when Ovechkin returns to team drills and then game action. The Capitals are doing more than stay afloat without him, but they’ll welcome him back with open arms the moment he’s ready.
As Eller said, “Obviously I think we’re even better when he’s in the lineup.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.