Over an illustrious 19-year career, he has averaged over 4.5 shots per game, including a 13-year stretch in which he led the NHL in shots 11 times. Yet in the first two games of the first-round series against the Rangers, Ovechkin has been held to just one shot across 120 minutes play.
He's struggling. It's hard, it's the playoffs on the road. He's getting a tough matchup but it's two games There's two things that I notice when he's struggling he's not getting [chances]. He should on a nightly basis get four or five looks, whether they go in or not. He's not getting those looks.
The Rangers' defense has plenty to do with that. They have been throwing practically everything possible at the legendary goal scorer's face, which was the gameplan heading into the series, especially because the Capitals do not possess much depth.
He's a player that can make a difference in a game, Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette, who coached Ovechkin from 2020-2023, said. We're mindful of that and do our best to check him.
[
add
]
[
|
|
...
]