Gordie Howe has the only 31-goal season by a player 41 or older. Jaromír Jágr and Teemu Selänne join Howe as the only 41-year-olds with 25 or more goals. Shoot, Gretzky’s final season produced just nine goals — and none of those legends could have their aging seasons broken down analytically like Ovechkin’s is and will continue to be.
This isn’t a disaster — not yet, anyway. Unlike most Washington teams, these Capitals can win without Ovechkin as a top producer. But Carbery is also trying to figure out how to best get him to contribute and help the team reach its goals, which are enormous. The coach distinctly remembers meeting with Ovechkin in that 2023-24 season. They were in Dallas. Ovechkin had just those eight goals through 43 games.
“I remember saying, ‘OK, here’s a couple of things that I’m seeing that can help you,’” Carbery said. “Usually, when he goes through something, getting to the net is a big thing. Scoring a few goals where it just goes in off you — the puck finds you, and it’s in.”
That night against the Stars, Ovechkin scored. Over the final 36 games in which he played, he scored at a 52-goal pace.
Is that reasonable at 41? Probably not. Is something other than an eight-goal pace? Absolutely. This final season should be about enhancing — not damaging — Ovechkin’s on-ice legacy. There’s plenty of time to do that through individual accomplishment, team success or a combination of the two. It might as well start Wednesday against the Flyers.
