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Alex Ovechkin News & Rumors

Is Ovechkin still the man for Capitals?
May 16
Washington Times
 columnist Stephen Whyno
"Alex Ovechkin isn't a playoff choker. Lack of production isn't the reason why his Washington Capitals haven't made it past the second round since his arrival, and he's averaging more than a point a game in his postseason career. But while the Capitals transformed their game under Dale Hunter and seemed to figure out a way to win without glitz and glamour, Ovechkin never seemed happy with being a $9 million role player, put on the ice in offensive situations and not when a lead needed protecting. "It doesn't matter if I like it or not, because he's my coach and I have to listen," Ovechkin said. "I know my role, and I know exactly when I'm going to be on the ice and when I'm not going to be"
Alex Ovechkin: 'Sometimes you don't have to be jealous'
May 15
Washington Post
 
"On the heels of Dale Hunter's departure, Alex Ovechkin was asked what he thought the Capitals would need moving forward to continue making progress as a team, whether they would need a new coach with a similar playing style or something completely different. "I don't know who's going to be the coach next year but the leaders in this group have to be together and don't look, you know," Ovechkin said. "I don't know how to explain better, but sometimes you don't have to be jealous….I don't want to say it was a jealous situation for us, but sometimes you just have to be a group together.""
Capitals' star scores, hits, blocks shots
May 10
New York Post
 
"Alex Ovechkin said before last night's Game 6 here against the Rangers that he didn't want his season to end. He made sure it didn't. Ovechkin's goal 88 seconds into the game set the tone for the Capitals, who claimed a 2-1 victory over the Blueshirts to send the series back to the Garden for Game 7 on Saturday night. "We don't want to stop playing," Ovechkin said afterward. "We don't want to finish the season. We knew we could beat them." The Capitals were able to beat the Rangers thanks in large part to the contribution of their superstar captain. After Anton Stralman took a bad tripping penalty 1:13 into the game, Ovechkin immediately put the Capitals ahead on the ensuing power play."
Alex Ovechkin on his big Game 6: 'Of course I'm gonna do my best'
May 10
Washington Post
 
"Alex Ovechkin may have only played 15 minutes 14 seconds in the Capitals' 2-1 win in Game 6, but when several shifts contain incredible scoring chances, it easily felt like more. From the beginning Ovechkin, like the Capitals as a whole, was visibly amped up. He scored a power-play goal 1:28 into the contest on a one-timer from the slot that was the result of some rapid passing around the perimeter by Dennis Wideman, Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom, to give Washington a 1-0 lead. It's not a place Ovechkin usually occupies on the power play, but something the Capitals decided to try."
Alex Ovechkin scores as Capitals force Game 7 against Rangers
May 10
Washington Post
 
"The Washington Capitals have found their identity this spring in being able to respond to tough losses and adversity with aplomb. On Wednesday night, facing elimination against the top-seeded New York Rangers, they came through again, this time with arguably their most dominant performance of the postseason. Washington put forth a relentless display en route to a 2-1 win over the Rangers in Game 6 at Verizon Center to even this Eastern Conference semifinal series at three games apiece. The decisive Game 7 will be Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden in New York."
Alex Ovechkin not expected to receive discipline for hit on Rangers' Dan Girardi
May 7
Washington Post
 
"Alex Ovechkin said he has not heard from the NHL or league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan about his hit on Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi in Game 4. Nor does the Capitals star left wing expect to. It doesn't look like Ovechkin will face any supplemental discipline for the hit, sources have told the Post. Following practice on Sunday, Coach Dale Hunter reiterated that he believed the hit was "incidental contact; they collided with each other.""
Ovechkin, Girardi have different views on hit
May 6
NHL.com
 
"Dan Girardi felt his head was the principal point of contact. Alex Ovechkin said he hit shoulder first. Those were their stances after Ovechkin was called for charging Girardi with 7:43 left in the second period during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a 3-2 victory for the Caps that evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Washington's Brooks Laich carried the puck into the Rangers zone and lost control of it. The puck squirted toward Ovechkin, who skated it and delivered the blow to Girardi. Girardi was able to stay in the game, but he wasn't happy with the hit afterward. "He hit me in the head first," Girardi said. "I think it was the right call. I'm not sure what it was,"
Ovechkin gets physica
May 6
New York Post
 
"Alex Ovechkin may have scored a goal to help the Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers yesterday to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at two games apiece, but it was his hit on Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi that generated the most discussion about his performance. Ovechkin, who has been suspended three times by the NHL, left his feet to deliver a shot to Girardi's head and shoulder midway through the second period, earning a charging minor. "He hit me in the head a bit there," said Girardi, who stayed in the game. "It was the right call." Not surprisingly, the view from the opposing locker room was decidedly different. "I just missed the puck," Ovechkin said. "I tried to get the"
Ovechkin on teaming with Backstrom: 'I think we have chemistry, it's not a secret'
May 2
Washington Post
 
"In these playoffs, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom haven't started a game together or taken regular shifts on the same line at even strength but neither of the Capitals' franchise players is worried about picking up where the combo left off. "I think we have chemistry, it's not a secret," Ovechkin said. "He can control the puck in the neutral zone and skate and find me in open spots. He's a top center in the league, I've played with him and it's nice." Said Backstrom: "No, we haven't [played together] much at all, but we should know each other because we've played with each other for a long time. We've got to go out and do our job out there and make sure we get some chances and stuff,"
Ovechkin: 'You have to use the chances that you have'
May 1
Washington Post
 
"As Alex Ovechkin's ice time has dipped in various scenarios this postseason, it's become a hot topic. But on the night that the star left wing posted a new career low for playing time in a postseason game, he also managed to come up with a clutch game-winner in Washington's 3-2 victory over the Rangers in Game 2. Ovechkin skated just 13:36, recorded the winner and finished with a game-high seven shots. While the star left wing openly admits he'd rather play more, given that the Capitals are now 4-0 in the past six games when Ovechkin has played less than 17:01, he appears to be taking it in stride."
Ovechkin keys Caps' Game 2 win over Rangers
May 1
New York Post
 
"There was a two-time Hart Trophy winner on the ice last night at Madison Square Garden, but it took about 52 minutes to realize it was No. 8 in white. Alex Ovechkin spent a total of 13:36 on ice while his Capitals won Game 2 of their conference semifinal playoff series with the Rangers, 3-2, tying the series 1-1 as it shifts to Washington for tomorrow night's Game 3. But with his limited ice time, it was still Ovechkin, the league's most valuable player in 2008 and 2009, who scored the winning goal, a power play wrist shot 12:33 into the third period."
Capitals even series with Rangers on Ovechkin's late goal
May 1
Washington Times
 
"To a man, the Washington Capitals knew what had to happen for them to succeed against the New York Rangers in this Stanley Cup playoff series. That meant smarter play and production out of the core, specifically forwards Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom. It's nice when players such as Jay Beagle, Matt Hendricks and Joel Ward chip in, but, as Brooks Laich pointed out: "Your top guys have to be your top guys." It's hard when one of those top guys isn't on the ice. For two periods, Ovechkin was hardly a factor, relegated to the bench and limited minutes. But his power play goal with 7:27 remaining lifted the Capitals to a 3-2 victory in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden that"
Alex Ovechkin knows he needs to be better in Game 2 vs. Rangers
April 30
Washington Post
 
"There have been slumps when Alex Ovechkin sounded as though he didn't know why he wasn't scoring. Sunday was not one of those days. The Washington Capitals' star criticized himself for a selfish play he made in the first period of his team's Game 1 loss to the New York Rangers, acknowledged that he needs to play smarter and said he must make better decisions with the puck in the offensive end. Admitting you've got a problem is the first step, right?"
Benched in the 3rd, Alex Ovechkin is more concerned with winning than ice time
April 21
Washington Times
 
"While the Washington Capitals clung to a one-goal lead, Alex Ovechkin was glued to the bench. For Game 4's final 5:50, the highest-paid player on the team and a guy once referred to as one of the best in the world couldn't get onto the ice. Ovechkin's totals included just 15 seconds of ice time in the final 14 minutes and 1:58 in the entire third period. And no explanation for the captain from coach Dale Hunter, even though he didn't seem to need one. "I don't think he had to tell me something about this. Of course I want to be out there, but it's his decision, and I can appreciate guys for how they play, and we win the game," Ovechkin said Friday. "It's the most important thing. It"
Alex Ovechkin: 'It doesn't matter how many minutes I play'
April 21
Washington Post
 
"The Capitals entered the third period of Game 4 on Thursday night with a one-goal lead, and as Boston pushed in attempt to tie the contest, Coach Dale Hunter turned to his most defensively-responsible forwards to carry the load down the stretch. One player who didn't take part in that show of team defense for the majority of the third, though, was Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals' star left wing played only 1 minute 58 seconds in the final frame and just 15 seconds in the final 14 minutes of regulation. Hunter attributed the captain's low ice time on Friday to line-matching and wanting to have his shut-down forwards out against the Bruins' top lines. It's not the first time Hunter has benched"
Alex Ovechkin: Right guy, wrong sweater
April 16
Boston Herald
 columnist Ron Borges
"In hockey, as in many walks of life, a man is defined by what he wears. Take, for example, Alex Ovechkin. During the first two games of the playoffs the crowd at the Garden booed Ovechkin lustily every time he touched the puck or touched a Bruin, which was often in the latter case and less so in the former, much to the relief of the Bruins. That he did more hitting than shooting may not be helping the Washington Capitals as much as Ovechkin thinks, but the fact of the matter is everything we hate about him we would love if he simply changed sweaters. If Ovechkin wore black and gold he would be the most popular Bruin on ice, not simply because he would be their greatest scorer but because"
Ovechkin rises to occasion
April 15
Boston Globe
 
"Washington captain Alex Ovechkin had another gritty game for his team yesterday at TD Garden. He logged 28 minutes and 1 second of ice time, with five hits and three shots on net. Ovechkin helped set up his team's first goal, keeping the puck in the zone. Eventually, Troy Brouwer caught Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas between a rock and a hard place and fired in a backhander from just outside the right post at 17:57 of the second period to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead on the way to their 2-1 win in double overtime. Ovechkin said Game 2 was similar to Game 1. Both teams had to battle for offensive chances. "I would say it's going to be a long series,'' said Ovechkin. "For us, it was very"
Alex Ovechkin needs to focus more on shooting than on hitting
April 14
Washington Post
 
"Alex Ovechkin dished out a game-high seven hits in Thursday's 1-0 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. But the Washington Capitals' captain did not have much success creating what his team needed most from him: scoring opportunities. Ovechkin attempted only two shots all game; the first was blocked and the other was stopped by Bruins goalie Tim Thomas. The one Ovechkin put on net came at 4 minutes 7 seconds of the third period after Nicklas Backstrom threaded a sublime crossing pass through the offensive zone to the star winger, who snapped a quick shot on goal. Thomas, though, got across the crease just in time to turn away the puck with his right pad. "That one shot, I should score,""
Malkin, Miller, Ovechkin named week's Three Stars
March 26
NHL.com
 
"It will be several months until we know for sure if Evgeni Malkin wins the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player, but one thing that's set in stone right now: the Pittsburgh Penguins center has once again been named as the First Star for the past week's games. Joining the leader in the race for the Art Ross Trophy is Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, who was awarded Second Star, and Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, the Third Star. Malkin had 5 goals in four games this past week to give him 46 for the season, second only to Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos in the Rocket Richard Trophy race. He had 9 points total, increasing his season output to 97, which is 10 ahead of"
Ovechkin a concern even in an off year
March 26
Buffalo News
 
"A stark few words of caution to the Buffalo Sabres: Alex Ovechkin is heating up. The showdown with the Washington Capitals is Tuesday night in the Verizon Center and The Great Eight is finally playing more like his nickname. Ovechkin has scored in five straight games and has nine goals in his last seven games, including the final tally in Sunday's 3-0 win over Minnesota that pulled the Capitals even with the Sabres at 84 points with six games left. The Sabres were off Sunday and will practice today with a keen emphasis on how to control Ovechkin, who has endured a hugely disappointing season until the last couple weeks."
Alex Ovechkin's key defensive play helps fuel Capitals' 3-0 win over Wild
March 26
Washington Post
 
"As Mikko Koivu raced down the left wing into the Capitals' zone late in the second period Sunday night at Verizon Center it looked like a sure fire chance for the Minnesota Wild to tie what was at that point a one-goal game. But immediately after Dennis Wideman bobbled the puck at the blue line on the Washington power play, turning the puck over and sending the Wild on an odd-man rush Alex Ovechkin began pursuit."
On Alex Ovechkin's belly-pat goal celebration
March 26
Washington Post
 
"With nine goals in his last seven games, Alex Ovechkin is looking a lot more like his two-time MVP winning self — but with one notable difference. Instead of treating Verizon Center fans to the patented hurling-the-body-into-the-boards goal celebration on Sunday in a 3-0 win over Minnesota, Washington's star left wing again displayed his new belly-pat move after his wrister in the third period. Ovechkin debuted the new celebration Thursday in Philadelphia, but nobody seems to know where it came from. The Post's Tarik El-Bashir asked about it Sunday, but the Capitals' captain laughed it off: "Nothing. I do it before, I think.""
Holtby, Ovechkin lead Washington over Minnesota, 3-0
March 26
Washington Post
 
"Coach Dale Hunter said it before the puck dropped on the opening faceoff Sunday afternoon: Every set of points is "huge" for the Washington Capitals in the waning days of the regular season. That fact is omnipresent for the players as they work to ensure themselves a playoff berth. And by dispatching the struggling Minnesota Wild, 3-0, at Verizon Center, they aided the cause. "Every guy in the room is paying attention to what is going on around the league right now," Mike Knuble said. "We showed up today for a game that was a must-win and we won it, so we leave here happy.""
Alex Ovechkin scores twice as Washington races to early lead and holds to win, 5-3
March 20
Washington Post
 
"Twenty-four hours after suffering one of their ugliest losses of the season, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals displayed the desperation — and level of execution — they lacked in Chicago. Ovechkin scored twice on the power play and goaltending prospect Braden Holtby earned his first NHL win in almost a year as the Capitals stunned the injury-riddled Detroit Red Wings, 5-3, Monday night. "This is the team we've got to be," said winger Jason Chimera, who had a goal and an assist. "I said to myself in the first intermission, 'Wow, that is the Washington Capitals.' That's what we can be like. [Sunday] was a stinker in the first period. Today it was probably the best period we've played"
Alex Ovechkin is putting Capitals on his shoulders and carrying them
March 20
Washington Post
 
"There have been times over the past seven seasons when Alex Ovechkin has put the Capitals on his broad shoulders and carried them. It appears he's trying to do it again. Ovechkin scored two power-play goals — only 7 minutes 3 seconds apart — in a 5-3 win Monday over the Red Wings that helped the Capitals maintain a two-point lead in the race for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. On this potentially season-defining five game road trip, Ovechkin has five goals in four games, including a pair of two-goal efforts. The Capitals, meantime, are 2-2-0 with a showdown in Philadelphia looming on Thursday."
Andrew Shaw's mouth and stick do the talking vs. Alex Ovechkin
March 19
Washington Times
 
"Alex Ovechkin has more three-point games in his NHL career than Andrew Shaw has years on this earth. But that didn't stop the Chicago Blackhawks rookie from chirping the Washington Capitals' superstar on Sunday. Charged with shutting down Ovechkin along with checking linemates Bryan Bickell and David Bolland, Shaw not only succeeded on the defensive end but outproduced him with two goals and an assist. "I was in his ear all game," Shaw said of Ovechkin. "I kind of shut him up when I put my second one in.""
Ovie winded; team says he'll suit up vs. Jets
March 16
Winnipeg Free Press
 
"THE bigger the game, the juicier the accompanying subplots. Such is the case for the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals, who meet tonight at the MTS Centre in a critical Southeast Division/Eastern Conference tilt. At an optional skate Thursday, a great deal of buzz was centred around news from the U.S. capital that Alex Ovechkin left practice after a collision with teammate Mike Knuble. The Washington Post reported Ovechkin and Knuble collided about 10 minutes into practice and the Capitals' superstar lay prone on the ice for about two minutes "pressing his gloved hands against his helmet as trainers attended to him." Ovechkin did not return to the ice and about an hour after the"
Nicklas Backstrom progress overshadowed by Alex Ovechkin injury scare
March 16
Washington Times
 
"It was hard to wipe the smile off Nicklas Backstrom's face Thursday. But that shouldn't be all that surprising considering the Washington Capitals star skated three days in a row, a significant step forward in his recovery from a concussion that has sidelined him since early January. "As soon as we see him around skating, we're all smiles too," defenseman Karl Alzner said. "Just the fact that he's on the ice is huge. We're all pretty happy about that." But those feelings were quickly overshadowed. About 10 minutes into practice, forwards Alex Ovech-kin and Mike Knuble collided at full speed during a drill."
Hunter says Ovechkin 'fine' after collision
March 15
CSN Washington
 
"Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin left the ice after an open-ice collision with teammate Mike Knuble today at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex but is scheduled to make the team's trip to Winnipeg later this afternoon. Ovechkin and Knuble were taking part in drills when the two collided around center ice. Ovechkin lay facedown on the ice for about two minutes, then took a seat on the Capitals bench for another three minutes, holding his head, before retreating to the locker room. "He's fine," Capitals coach Dale Hunter said. "Something real bad could have happened. They got crossed up in their signals. We've seen it happen before in practices. He could have broken his arm. You never like to see it"
Capitals' leaders send message, sparking rally past Islanders
March 14
Washington Post
 
"During the second intermission of Tuesday's 5-4 shootout win on Long Island, veterans Matt Hendricks and Mike Knuble acknowledged that more than one leader stood up to deliver a strong message to everyone in the Capitals' dressing room. "We needed to kind of pull our head out of somewhere dark, to say the least," Hendricks said. "The coaches said a little bit of something. But I think it was the leaders in this room that spoke up.""
Alex Ovechkin: What's wrong with the Washington Capitals superstar?
March 11
Washington Post
 
"Back in November when the Washington hockey season was still young and held so much promise, the Capitals' superstar left wing met with reporters in Toronto. The question was asked politely then and it's been posed with a greater sense of urgency many times since: What's wrong with Alex Ovechkin? "Everything's okay with Alex Ovechkin," the five-time all-star said. "Yeah." There was a follow-up: Is it hard being Alex Ovechkin sometimes? "Actually, it's fun," he said. "It's great to be Alex Ovechkin." What followed in the ensuing three months has been rarely characterized as fun or great — not for Ovechkin, the Capitals or their fans. The Ovechkin who will take the ice for the Capitals'"
Alex Ovechkin scores in overtime as Washington edges Tampa Bay
March 9
Washington Post
 
"Coach Dale Hunter isn't the most talkative of bench bosses, his messages most often brief and blunt. After the Washington Capitals fell into their bad habits in the second period Thursday night and allowed the Tampa Bay Lightning to score a pair of goals and take a lead, Hunter laid into his team. "The message was to man-up, play hard, play as a team," Karl Alzner said. "He yelled at us. It's one of the first times he's yelled at us. Guys really kind of snapped out of it after they heard it.""
Ovechkin's OT goal vs. Lightning gives Capitals something to build on
March 9
Washington Times
 
"This homestand hasn't been about consistent, winning hockey for the Washington Capitals. But it has included plenty of third-period magic. So the Capitals fall behind, then find a way in the final minutes to snatch a point. Maybe two. Thursday night, it was two in the most meaningful of situations, as they managed to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime at Verizon Center to salvage the homestand and stay very much in the Southeast Division race. "We felt coming into this game that it was going to be our season, and if we could get two points tonight, it was going to put us in a good spot to contend for a playoff spot here," right wing Troy Brouwer said. "If we weren't able to get"
Ovechkin: 'It's not over yet'
March 6
CSN Washington
 
"The Capitals have gone six straight periods of hockey without scoring a goal in losses to the Devils and Flyers by a combined score of 6-0. And when they hit the ice tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes, they'll be facing a team that outshot them 73-40 and outscored them 8-0 in their last two meetings. "We have chances," said Capitals captain Alex Ovecvhkin, who scored the Capitals' last goal in overtime against the Islanders on Feb. 28. "That's the most important thing. I think if we play the same way (tonight) and with the same energy it will be a different result. The Capitals better hope so. With two straight losses they have fallen three points out of a playoff spot and five points"
Alex Ovechkin: Not great, and barely noticeable
March 6
Washington Post
 
"Post columnist Thomas Boswell was asked during today's lengthy live Q&A what he thinks of Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin's apparent "'Good 8' holding pattern," as one reader put it — no longer great, not developing or adjusting. His answer follows, and you can read the rest of the chat here. I assume the Great Eight is gone and the good-to-very-good Ovechkin will be around a long time. Will he be good or very good? His point-per-game totals, starting with his rookie year: 1.31, 1.12, 1.37, 1.39, 1.51, 1.08 and an awful (for him) 0.80 so far this year. He's on a pace for 62 points. His points progression the last five years is: 112, 110, 109, 85 and now a pace for 62. That's just as"
Alex Ovechkin: 'My mistake cost us two points'
March 5
Washington Post
 
"Sunday night, the lone goal required in the Philadelphia Flyers' 1-0 win over the Capitals developed after an offensive-zone turnover by Alex Ovechkin in the second period. The star left wing said he was trying to make a play but instead gave the puck away, sending the rush back into the Washington zone. Deep in the corner Zac Rinaldo tied up Dennis Wideman, leaving the puck free for Sean Couturier, who sent it up to Matt Carle on the left point. A pass along the blue line brought it to Pavel Kubina on the right point near the Flyers' bench, Ovechkin half attempted to block the shot from the Philadelphia blue liner but didn't get a piece of it. Kubina's shot was redirected by Eric Wellwood"
Capitals vs. Islanders: Ovechkin scores in overtime to finish off rally in 3-2 win
February 29
Washington Post
 
"For 56 minutes Tuesday night, the Washington Capitals simply couldn't find a way to put a puck past New York Islanders netminder Evgeni Nabokov. With time waning, they stood down two goals and risked falling behind in a race for the postseason where every set of points is precious. But just when the game might have slipped away, the Capitals broke through. Troy Brouwer, who entered the contest on a 13-game scoring drought, recorded a pair of goals in the final 3 minutes 29 seconds of regulation to force overtime. In extra time, Alex Ovechkin sealed a 3-2 win in the dramatic fashion only he can provide with a rocket of a shot between Nabokov's legs."
Alex Ovechkin's return sparks Washington to 4-1 victory over Montreal
February 25
Washington Post
 
"With time running out and their margin for error all but used up, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals returned to Verizon Center on Friday night and played with the type of desperation their situation demands. The result was an important 4-1 victory over the Eastern Conference-worst Montreal Canadiens that saw Ovechkin score in his return from injury, Michal Neuvirth earn his first victory in five weeks and, more important, the gap between themselves and eighth place shrink to a single standings point. "Right now, every situation is an important situation for us," Ovechkin said. "Every point is an important point. Everybody understand it and everybody was concentrating on the game.""
Alex Ovechkin skates briefly, but unable to reach full speed
February 23
Washington Post
 
"For approximately 15 minutes Thursday morning, Alex Ovechkin was on the ice alone at KCI in a powder-blue no contact jersey apparently testing something out with his stride. Ovechkin, who missed Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators with a lower-body injury, skated at half speed skating in small circles then laps around the rink. At one point, the left wing sat on the bench for a few minutes then stepped back on to the ice. Ovechkin tried to power through the neutral zone with his trademark stride but had to pull up, unable to reach full speed."
Alex Ovechkin misses practice with 'equipment problem;' expected to play Wednesday
February 22
Washington Times
 
"Alex Ovechkin missed six minutes during the second period of the Washington Capitals' 5-0 loss Monday night at the Carolina Hurricanes. He and coach Dale Hunter shrugged it off as an equipment issue, even as the star left wing finished with just 15:43 of ice time and no shifts in the final five minutes. "Just a skate," Ovechkin said Monday night after showing a noticeable limp. Then came Tuesday when Ovechkin was absent from the Caps' practice at Raleigh Ice Center. He was getting what the team called a "maintenance day," and Hunter expects Ovechkin to play Wednesday night at the Ottawa Senators."
Alex Ovechkin not on the ice for Capitals' practice
February 22
Washington Post
 
"Coach Dale Hunter said that he expects Alex Ovechkin, who was seen limping last night and did not take part in practice today, to play against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. "He had an equipment problem, then we just gave him a maintenance day today," said Hunter, who was asked why Ovechkin only skated five shifts in the third period against Carolina. "I played everybody. You see the minutes, you're down five-zip. It's nice to get [Jay] Beagle some more ice time, stuff like that." Hunter added that the reason Brooks Laich didn't play late in the contest was "just precautionary. Just give the other fourth-line guys more ice.""
Alex Ovechkin limping after Capitals' 5-0 loss to Hurricanes
February 21
Washington Post
 
"Another loss for the Capitals, another opportunity to move up into the Eastern Conference playoff picture squandered. Monday night the defeat came in spectacular fashion as Washington never truly contended for the two points up for grabs en route to a 5-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. "Embarassing effort, right from the start," said a noticeably steamed Troy Brouwer. "We weren't ready to play. Gave up chances, gave the puck away didn't get the puck in deep just all around embarrassing. "They're a hot team right now," Brouwer continued, "We can't let teams like that get a good start on us especially when we need these points they're so crucial. Florida lost [Sunday], we were looking"
Alex Ovechkin laughs off 'rock star' criticism, while George McPhee agrees
February 17
Washington Times
 
"Olie Kolzig gave a brutally honest read on ex-Washington Capitals teammate Alex Ovechkin on Wednesday, stepping so far outside the politically correct box the team is usually contained within. "For Alex, it's a work ethic," said Kolzig, now the team's associate goaltending coach. "He just has to get back to being the way he was in his younger days and maybe not get wrapped up too much in the rock star status that comes with being Alex Ovechkin." Kolzig was the first Caps official to say anything like that publicly. While the captain laughed off the rock star line, general manager George McPhee didn't refute those comments. In fact, he agreed."
Alex Ovechkin can't get 'wrapped in rock-star status,' Capitals assistant Olie Kolzig says
February 16
Washington Post
 
"Most associate goalie coaches don't have the qualifications necessary to comment about the source of the team captain's struggles or the head coach's motivations and methods. But Olie Kolzig does. Alex Ovechkin and Dale Hunter were Washington Capitals teammates of his. They shared a dressing room and, on occasion, a dinner table. So on Wednesday, when a briefing on goaltenders shifted to a conversation about Ovechkin and Hunter, those listening leaned a little closer. And in typical Kolzig fashion, he didn't pull any punches."
Alex Ovechkin has made ice hockey cool for Washington area's youth athletes
February 9
Washington Post
 
"Jeff Halpern showed up at the Ashburn Ice House to put on a hockey clinic one recent Wednesday evening. What he saw came as a bit of a shock: a crowd. Halpern, the Washington Capitals' center, grew up in Potomac and remembers when hockey was a sport for the relatively few young athletes who wanted to try something different from football or baseball. Not anymore."
Brooks Laich, Alex Ovechkin and Dennis Wideman get day off
February 9
Washington Post
 
"The Capitals held a 40-minute practice Wednesday but given the rigors of the schedule at this point in the season, a few players were instructed to take the day off from skating. Alex Ovechkin, Dennis Wideman and Brooks Laich all were excused from the session. According to Coach Dale Hunter, Laich "was good" after playing 9 minutes and 28 seconds against the Panthers despite his injured left knee. The versatile forward was simply given a day off to rest. Wideman, who leads the team in ice time this season, played 18:41 against the Panthers while Ovechkin saw 20:15."
Alex Ovechkin's two goals help vault Washington past Florida, 4-0 and into first place in division
February 8
Washington Post
 
"Before his Washington Capitals hosted the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, Coach Dale Hunter compared this February meeting to a playoff game. While that was an exaggeration, the Capitals responded in kind. Tomas Vokoun recorded a 42-save shutout and Alex Ovechkin scored a pair of goals to lead Washington to a 4-0 victory over the Panthers in one of its most consistent outings and thorough wins in recent memory."
Ovechkin gives Capitals 'emotional lift' in return
February 5
Washington Times
 
"Alex Ovechkin took just one shot on goal and played a shade under 20 minutes. It wasn't the magnificent, light-up-Bell Centre sort of comeback that some in Montreal may have scripted, but the Washington Capitals' captain emerged from his three-game suspension thrilled to be back on the ice. "I feel pretty good fresh out there. I go back and forth; I was not tired. It's a good sign for me," Ovechkin said. "It's just game situation and I miss it. I'm pretty happy we won and I'm pretty happy I was in that game." Ovechkin didn't play much of a role in the Caps beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 on Saturday afternoon, though he had a couple noticeable passes or hustle plays that made it clear"
Alex Ovechkin after first game back: 'I feel pretty good, fresh out there'
February 5
Washington Post
 
"Alex Ovechkin didn't have a particularly large impact on Washington's 3-0 win over the Canadiens on Saturday afternoon in his first game back after serving a three-game suspension. But it certainly doesn't hurt for the Capitals to have the face of the franchise and captain back in the mix. Ovechkin finished with no points in 21 shifts, totaling 19 minutes 57 seconds of ice time. He recorded one shot on goal, while two attempts missed and another two were blocked. The star left wing was also credited with three hits. While his impact on the score sheet may have been minimal, his presence occupies much of the opposing team's attention."