A New NHL Record
In Tuesday night’s win against the Detroit Red Wings, Alexander Ovechkin put his name in history books once again. With just eight seconds remaining in the period, Ovi slipped the puck past goaltender Alex Lyon and netted his 30th of the season, making him the only player to reach a 30-goal season 18 times. The previous record of 17 seasons was held by former Capital and hall-of-famer Mike Gartner. Gartner congratulated Ovechkin in a video, stating, “I just wanted to congratulate you on 18 30+ goal seasons. I know we shared the record for a very brief time, and I’m pretty appreciative of that, but now you have it all by yourself. There are many records you have in the National Hockey League, and there’s one big one that you’re still gonna get. Good luck. All the best. ”
Per NHL PR, Ovechkin is also the sixth player in history to begin a season at age 38+ and score 30 goals. He joins the list with Gordie Howe, Brett Hull, Johnny Bucyk, Teemu Selanne, and Martin St. Louis.
A Must-Win Game
The game against Detroit was a must-win for the Capitals as they continue to chase the postseason. Ovechkin’s goal was one of two, the other one coming from forward Dylan Strome, who notched his 300th career point with the goal. Both the Capitals and the Red Wings looked abysmal for the first half of the game, with no score coming until Strome’s goal late in the second period. It was the boost the Capitals needed, and they rallied to get the win. Patrick Kane scored for the Wings very late in the game, not leaving enough time to tie it up. The win not only broke the Capitals’ six-game losing streak, but pushed them back into the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Their postseason fate is in their own hands now. The Capitals need to keep up the momentum and pull of regulation wins in their remaining four games of the regular season.
An MVP in Net
The real story of the night was Charlie Lindgren, the Capitals goaltender. Chuckie has been a huge asset for Washington this season, showing up and performing well night after night. Lindgren made an astonishing 42 saves against the Red Wings, just one short of his franchise record. It looked like the netminder was going to play a perfect game, but Patrick Kane spoiled what would have been his sixth shutout of the season with less than two seconds on the clock. Nonetheless, Charlie Lindgren saved 2.66 goals above expected for the Capitals, per Evolving Hockey. He essentially won the game for the Capitals, and will continue to prove to be an asset to the team, should they make playoffs.
Lindgren’s teammates praised him highly in postgame media availability. “That game doesn’t go our way without Chuckie,” Dylan Strome said. “Played unbelievable — and he’s been doing that for the last however many months now.” Record-breaker Alex Ovechkin remarked, “He was unbelievable — all year. He’s fighting. We try to do our best to help him out.” Head coach Spencer Carbery gave a triumphant speech in the locker room post-win, making sure to highlight Chuckie’s efforts. “This guy: un-f*$%-real job,” he said, followed by a huge round of applause from the team. “He gives us a chance to win a game. Holds f*&% strong as we find our footing. As we start to take over that game, he made some f*&% unbelievable saves. Great job, Chuckie.”
The Washington Capitals will look to maintain their wildcard spot and push for the playoffs on Thursday night in Buffalo. Their season continues with Tampa Bay and Boston at home, concluding with a game in Philadelphia.
ITR 36: Coaching Carousel – Inside The Rink
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