By Joe Pohoryles Alex Ovechkin is in unfamiliar territory. A slow start has turned into a slow season for the Great 8, who has just eight goals through 38 games in 2023-24. His 6.0 shooting percentage is the lowest it’s ever been. The 38-year-old Washington Capitals captain is on pace for just 17 goals inContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XXI: Turning the page on 2023”
Tag Archives: Chasing Gretzky
Chasing Gretzky XX: Time to Panic?
By Joe Pohoryles For the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin, it’s been a rough start to the 2023-24 season. The Capitals currently sit fifth in the Metropolitan Division at 5-4-1 and they take on the Florida Panthers tonight at 7:30 pm. The biggest news so far this season is Nicklas Backstrom stepping away from theContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XX: Time to Panic?”
Chasing Gretzky XIX: Father Ovechkin vs. Father Time
By Joe Pohoryles The 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend stuck out to me in a big way. It hit me when 4-year-old Sergei Ovechkin stole the spotlight from the two biggest NHL stars of the past 20 years during the Breakaway Competition. The sequence earned a perfect score in what was one of the more wholesomeContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XIX: Father Ovechkin vs. Father Time”
Chasing Gretzky XVIII: One Man in Sight
By Joe Pohoryles Two months ago, I predicted Alex Ovechkin would pass Gordie Howe for the No. 2 spot on the NHL all-time goal list between Dec. 23-31, with a specific prediction of Dec. 29 against the Ottawa Senators. After reaching 800 on Dec. 13 with a hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks, it seemedContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XVIII: One Man in Sight”
Chasing Gretzky XVII: The Gr800
By Joe Pohoryles It could happen tonight. Alex Ovechkin, shortly after becoming the third player in NHL history to reach 800 career goals, could potentially tie and pass Gordie Howe (801) for second on the all-time list. Poetically, it would be against the Detroit Red Wings, the team Howe played with for 25 years. ThisContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XVII: The Gr800”
Chasing Gretzky XVI: Howe’s it Going?
By Joe Pohoryles After a slow start to his 18th NHL season, Alex Ovechkin is kicking it up a notch. He failed to score in the first three games of the season for the first time since 2012-13, where he ended up finishing with a league-leading 32 goals in the 48-game lockout season. Now heContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XVI: Howe’s it Going?”
Chasing Gretzky XV: The Magic Number 50
By Joe Pohoryles The Washington Capitals are fully entrenched in a playoff battle with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers, and while the fight to advance and keep their season alive is still going, Alex Ovechkin’s fight to advance up the all-time ranks of NHL goals is done for another year. Despite missing the last threeContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XV: The Magic Number 50”
Chasing Gretzky XIV: Three More Records at Stake
Due to my Frozen Four coverage in Boston this weekend, I didn’t have time to get around to this month’s installment until after it ended, which is why this is coming out slightly later than the usual eighth of each month. There will be a full-season wrap up in May. By Joe Pohoryles Just 10Continue reading “Chasing Gretzky XIV: Three More Records at Stake”
Chasing Gretzky XIII: Lowering the Average
By Joe Pohoryles Entering the first season of Alex Ovechkin’s new five-year contract, 33 was the magic number. To break Wayne Gretzky’s record in five seasons, Ovechkin would have to average 33 goals across each of those seasons. He’s now at 34 this season. For every goal he scores above 33 this year, the lowerContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XIII: Lowering the Average”
Chasing Gretzky XII: C(OVI)D Strikes Again
By Joe Pohoryles By Feb. 1, Alex Ovechkin was the only Washington Capital to play in every single game this season. On Feb, 2, that came to an end. A positive test put Ovechkin into COVID protocols, forcing him to miss Washington’s 5-3 loss to Edmonton. Ovi entering protocol was always a possibility, but theContinue reading “Chasing Gretzky XII: C(OVI)D Strikes Again”
The Wildcard 