Players

Alex Ovechkin Scores 40th Goal for 10th Time in Career

(Caps Outsider)

For the 10th time in his career, Alex Ovechkin hit the 40-goal mark, as he tallied from his office in the first period Sunday against the Ducks.

That makes us wonder – what about those years he didn’t score at least 40?

2010-2011 – 32

He scored a career-low 32 goals in 79 games. This happened in Bruce Boudreau’s final full season with the Caps. The Caps were still a good team that season but Ovechkin was clearly not his old self that year. However, he also had 53 assists that year before his assist totals plummeted.

2011-12 – 38

In 2011-12, he played 60 games under coach Dale Hunter, who operated a more defensive system that didn’t maximize Ovechkin’s numbers. He would score 38 that season.

2012-13 – 32

This season doesn’t really count because it was shortened by the lockout and Ovi was on fire that season, scoring 32 goals in 48 games and winning his third MVP award.

2016-2017 – 33

He only had 33 goals, mainly because the team cut his minutes in an effort to ‘rest’ him for the playoffs. That cut into his goal total. Despite that, the team won the President’s Trophy for the second year in a row and didn’t really need more goals out of him in the regular season.

 

Now, Ovechkin is looking to score at least 50 for the eighth time, and to win another Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer. Last year, he finished with 49, playing an extended shift in the final game in an attempt to notch his 50th.

Ben Sumner

Ben Sumner is the editor of Capitals Outsider. He also works for The Washington Post and contributes there when he gets a scoop.

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