Alex Ovechkin Continues to Defy Aging with Remarkable Performances
One of the main narratives leading into the season was Alex Ovechkin’s chase for Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals, as the Great Eight began the season 41 goals behind The Great One.
If the Washington Capitals top player had scored at his usual rate of 0.60 goals per game, he would have needed 69 games to match Gretzky. This seemed achievable this season, but considering Ovechkin’s age and recent performance, it appeared unlikely. If Ovi continued to decrease or had periods of absence, there was no guarantee he would achieve Gretzky’s record.
However, Ovechkin has not diminished with age; rather, he has experienced a significant resurgence against Father Time.
Ovi has already scored 10 goals in his first 15 games of the season, marking the ninth occasion in his career where he has reached that goal tally within that same number of games to start a season. He is expected to catch up to Gretzky in the next 47 games, possibly breaking the record in early March.
Although it may not be likely (with his shooting percentage of 19% far exceeding his career average of 12.9%), Ovechkin could break the record by early April if he continues to score at the same rate as he has in the past three seasons.
Image Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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