Forty-one, that’s the number of goals Washington Capitals rookie Alex Ovechkin has scored so far this season.  That’s one less than league-leader Jaromir Jagr, and the second-highest tally for a rookie since Teemu Selanne put up a record 76 goals as a rookie in the 1992-1993 NHL season.

Scoring 41 goals in your rookie season is a remarkable accomplishment for any player, and considering the Caps have 22 games left to go this season, it’s conceivable that Ovechkin will finish with more than 50 goals and close to 100 points (he has a rookie-leading 76 points now).  The 20-year-old Russian has demonstrated great strength, speed and agility with the puck.  He’s also shown he not shy about giving or taking a hit.  His physical play and infectious, almost giddy joy in playing the game have quickly endeared him to teammates, DC fans and hockey fans in general.  What’s even more remarkable is that Ovechkin’s accomplishments have come with less than spectacular support.

Ovechkin’s outstanding rookie performance has been one of the few highlights of the season for Washington fans.  There will be no playoffs in DC this year.  But fans can still dream about next season and the “what ifs.” 

It’s no secret the Caps are in a rebuilding mode.  Right winger Dainius Zubrus has played well and complemented Ovechkin on the top line, but DC has no true first line center.  Brooks Laich has played admirably lately and may develop into a solid second line center, but he lacks the passing and playmaking ability of a top line guy.

The Caps are well under the salary cap and Ovechkin’s spectacular play and boundless enthusiasm should make DC a more attractive place to free agents in the off season.  Securing a first line center who can not only distribute the puck but take some of the defensive heat away from Ovechkin should be their first priority.

Imagine what the new Russian Rocket could do next season …

You have to see it to believe it.  Washington Capitals rookie Alex Ovechkin continues to amaze, yesterday scoring on his back in a 6-1 road win over the Phoenix Coyotes.  The goal was his fifth in two games.

Even Coyotes Head Coach Wayne Gretzky, who knows a thing or two about scoring, was impressed.  In an interview with the Associated Press, he called the goal "sweet,"  adding, "It's great to see, because he is that good."

Ovechkin was working one-on-one against Coyotes defenseman Paul Mara with nearly eight minutes left to go in the game when he was knocked to the ice.  Somehow, from his back, he had the presence of mind to swing his stick one-handed over his head, catching the puck and sending it behind a stunned Brian Boucher for the goal.  This is the kind of moment Tivo was made for.  I had to pause and rewind it five times to be sure it went in.

You can see the goal for yourself on the Caps Web site at  http://www.washingtoncaps.com/news/news.asp?stor
y_id=3770

Transitioning from "Sasha" to "Alex":  Rookie Phenom Adjusts to Life in the NHL and the U.S.

With nearly seven minutes to go in the second period Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Washington Capitals found themselves in a familiar position.  Down 3-1, the team was desperately trying to make something happen on offense.  And as they had done so many times before this season, they turned to rookie Alexander Ovechkin. 

The Moscow-native came into the Blackhawks game leading all rookies with 49 points and accounting for nearly half his team’s overall scoring total.  Pounding the boards in the Blackhawks’ zone, Ovechkin deftly picked the pocket of Chicago’s Matthew Barnaby.  Dodging another defender he fired the puck on net for an unassisted goal, his 26^th of the year, bringing the Caps to within one.  He then followed that with an assist to Brian Sutherby early in the third period to tie the game.  Unfortunately for the Capitals, who sit at the bottom of the Southeast Division, the effort wasn’t enough.  They eventually fell to Chicago 4-3 in overtime.

Watching Ovechkin on the ice it is easy to forget that he is only 20 years old; his knack for scoring big goals and strong physical play belie an older player with more experience.  Many hockey analysts have been quick to compare his skills to those of fellow Russians Pavel Bure or Ilya Kovalchuk.  However, Capitals Head Coach Glen Hanlon sees more of former New York Rangers Captain Mark Messier in Ovechkin.  “He loves to hit or do something physically in the middle of the game that will turn the tide,” he said, noting that the other players are known more for their finesse with the puck.

Once off the ice, Ovechkin’s youth is readily apparent.  His boundless energy and enthusiasm pervade the Capitals’ locker room.  After a recent morning skate, Ovechkin could be seen alternately high-fiving the team’s equipment manager, teasing a front office official about his choice of neckwear, clowning around with his teammates as they came off the ice, and talking about his new-found love of sushi.  “He’s a very intense guy, but he has a real spirited intensity.  It’s not an introverted intensity; it’s a passion and an enjoyment,” Hanlon said of his new superstar, adding with a laugh, “It’s fun to be around him.  It’s very contagious.  I think that’s why the players admire him so much.”

Locker room antics aside, Ovechkin appears at ease with life in the NHL, and although being a rookie, particularly one so relied upon by his team for scoring production, can never be described as being a cake walk, he wouldn’t have it any other way.  “This was my dream.  NHL best league in the world.  Best players in the world.  I want to be the best,” Ovechkin said of his decision to leave Russia last year, then added, “When you have the chance you must take it.” 

Ovechkin started playing hockey at age seven and came up through Moscow Dynamo’s youth development system.  Russian Super League teams, unlike NHL teams, bring players into their farm system at a very young age.  The system takes over responsibility for all aspects of their development.  As a result, many players begin playing in the Super League in the mid- to late-teens.  For Ovechkin the call came in 2001 when he was 16 years old.  He appeared in 152 games for the Dynamo over four seasons, racking up 36 goals and 32 assists on his way to becoming a superstar in his home country. 

He could have stayed in Russia this year, indeed the Dynamo contend they still hold his rights, but he instead chose to leave his family and home behind and make the leap to the NHL for just under $1 million in guaranteed money this season, roughly half of what he was making in Russia.  While he has the potential to make up some of that lost salary in bonuses, money is not the first thing on Ovechkin’s mind.  With a shrug of his shoulders, he explained simply, “Money is money, you know?  Right now I want NHL and not money.”

For Ovechkin, the desire to play at the highest level and prove himself runs deep.  His parents were both products of the Soviet sports system; his mother won two Olympic gold medals in women’s basketball in 1976 and 1980, while his father played professional soccer.  The value of hard work and a respect for high achievement obviously rubbed off on their youngest son.  “My mom was great sportsman and she always said me what I must do and when I must relax.  She taught me a lot,” Ovechkin said of his mother’s influence.  Hanlon, whose team divested itself of most of its marketable talent after last year’s lockout, offered further insight into how Ovechkin's competitive drive manifests.  “He didn’t want to go to a team that was one win away from a Stanley Cup.  He wanted to be responsible for carrying that team to a Stanley Cup.  That’s one reason we admire him so much,” he said, noting Ovechkin welcomes the pressure that goes along with being the team’s go-to scorer.

Like achievement, family is a constant theme with Ovechkin.  At an age when most of his American peers are in college, Ovechkin, who studied English for only a year prior to joining the Caps, is navigating the crowded sights and sounds of our nation’s capital.  To help ease the adjustment, his older brother left Moscow behind to join him in D.C. and study English.  They live together in a home Ovechkin recently purchased in the young and trendy Northern Virginia suburbs.  His parents also recently traveled from Moscow to visit and see him play.

Unlike many Russian players new to North America, Ovechkin has not retreated into a shell, nor has he tried to recreate a little slice of Mother Russia in D.C.  Far from it.  Much has been made of his request for an English-speaking roommate on the road.  Ovechkin has stated numerous times that he wants to be able to understand all that is going on around him – what  the coaches, his teammates, fans are saying – so he can fully feel a part of the team.  While his English is still not quite perfect, it has improved dramatically over the first half of the season.  He uses no interpreter and has little problem understanding and answering reporters’ questions, often mimicking an American teenager’s habit of speaking quickly, talking with his hands, and using slang. 

As the Caps reached the mid-point of a less than spectacular season Tuesday, Ovechkin was looking ahead.  He is on pace to log 100 points, a mark only five NHL rookies have reached before and the third-best points total in Caps history.  But awards and scoring marks are not what are on Ovechkin’s mind.  “I look forward all time to win game and it doesn’t matter whether the game Chicago or Colorado.  It doesn’t matter.  I just want to play hockey and win games.  I want to score goals.  I want bigger,” he said, waving his hands in the air as if to signify things to come.  Of the speculation that has surrounded the race between himself and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby for the Calder Trophy, the NHL’s award for rookie of the year, Ovechkin shook his head and noted, “It doesn’t matter.  He good player, I’m good player, [Colorado Avalanche forward Marek] Svatos good player … we are all good players.”

For now, Ovechkin is happy to focus on the short-term – the Capitals road trip, which begins today in Dallas, and next month’s Olympics in Turin, Italy, where he will play for Russia.  “I am representing my country in a big tournament and I want to win it,” he said, flashing a mischievous grin, before asserting the Russian team’s chances of winning gold are “100%.”

With the serious piece out of the way, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on my day following the Caps. 

First, it was incredible, and I want to thank the team’s front office for letting me tag along for the day.  I was really impressed with the entire organization; everyone from the team and front office, down to the press box staff was incredibly courteous and welcoming.  I didn’t grow up a huge fan, even though I lived about 15 miles from the Cap Center, but I now have the deepest respect for their organization. 

Second, love of the game is the main reward for “real” sports reporters.  I got the chance to talk with several guys who cover the Caps, along with other local teams, for a variety of local and national media.  Sports reporting is a really tough field.  The hours are long and odd, the paychecks aren’t great, and the odds of making it big are low.  You really have to love sports and have a passion for what you cover to have a satisfying career.  Talking to them about their struggles and their career experience really put the outcome of this contest in perspective. 

Third, Ovechkin is the real deal.  You can actually feel the entire arena, press included, hold its collective breath when he touches the puck.  He is something special.  After speaking with him for a just a few minutes, I was struck by how he seemed to have his priorities in order and his head on straight. He seems like a really good kid, and it was obvious to see why the organization is so crazy about him.  He'll be one to watch for a very long time to come.

And finally, DC sports fans – or any sports fans who breeze through town – I implore you take in a game.  The team is struggling right now, but they are exciting to watch.  With all of the young talent on the roster, their results are bound to improve.  Tickets prices are reasonable and there is not a bad seat in the MCI/Verizon Center.  Take the kids now so they can say one day that they saw Ovechkin play.

So I started thinking about how, gender aside, I could distinguish myself in this contest.  I'm not a stats geek or a trivia junkie.  I freely admit all of the other finalists probably know much more about such things than I do.  What I do know is a good hook and how to make something compelling.  A profile piece would showcase that. 

As I was getting lunch yesterday, I looked down the street, saw the MCI Center, thought about the Caps-Flyers game that night, and thought, "Hmmm, I wonder if I could leverage this contest to get an interview with Alex Ovechkin?".  The fact that he's 20-years-old and carrying his team while learning a new language and acclimating himself to a  new culture is pretty incredible.  The most stressful thing in most 20-year-olds' lives is exams.  And let's face it, once you graduate college you realize they weren't that big a deal.

I got back to the office and with a few clicks of the mouse had the Caps' media relations number, called the coordinator and pitched my idea.  Worth a try, right?  The coordinator sounded enthused and I passed on a  written proposal for consideration.  Stay tuned for how this turns out.