Washington Capitals: Handing out 2021 player awards
The Washington Capitals 2021 season has ended and we are still in the looking back portion of the offseason. It’s time to recognize the best of the best and hand out some player awards.
These players excelled when their name was called and rose to the occasion. It is these guys that were awesome to watch all season long.
Best Offensive Player: Alex Ovechkin
Once again Alex Ovechkin defied age and took home our award for best offensive player. He finished with a team leading 24 goals and 18 assists for 42 points. He earned a high grade in our report card series and was easily the offensive MVP.
Best Defensive Player: Dmitry Orlov
Dmitry Orlov also earned a high grade and was our defensive MVP and for good reason. He had eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points. After a slow start on the COVID-19 protocol list, Orlov came alive and had one of his best seasons possibly earning him a protection spot in the expansion draft. Orlov also had a Corsi For percentage of 52.02 percent.
Best Series Performer against Penguins: Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson not only led the Caps with four goals against the Penguins this season but was all over the ice. On Jan. 19 in an overtime loss in Pittsburgh, Wilson had two goals. They came less than three minutes apart. Back at home against the Penguins on April 29 he scored a clutch game tying goal to not only force overtime but put the Caps into the playoffs. He continued to prove that he simply owns the Penguins.
Best Goal of 2021: T.J. Oshie’s diving one hander
During Washington’s lone home win over the Penguins this season, T.J. Oshie scored a highlight reel goal for the ages. At 3:18 in the third period, Oshie got the puck, did a curl and drag around a defender and went one handed past the Penguins goalie for an incredible goal that is easily goal of the year.
This goal was reminiscent of Alex Ovechkin’s rookie year goal where he did a one handed spin around his back. The different in this goal is Oshie went and dove head first and used one hand to push it past Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry.
Best Power Play Goal of 2021: Tic Tac Toe from Oshie
The best power play goals besides the ones from the Alex Ovechkin office are the ones that complete the tic tac toe. This beauty came from T.J. Oshie, finishing off a perfect passing sequence from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. The Caps would lose this game but that power play goal was still a highlight.
Best Hit of 2021: Tom Wilson launches Curtis Lazar into space
The best hit of the 2021 season came from none other than Tom Wilson when he sent Curtis Lazar into orbit in Game 2 of their first round series against the Boston Bruins.
Community Award: Garnet Hathaway
This award goes to the best player who did a lot for the DMV community. The player who best exemplified that was Washington’s King Clancy Trophy nominee Garnet Hathaway. The trophy is awarded annually to the player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
Garnet and his wife Lindsay launched Hath’s Heroes back in 2019 to give back to first responders. Over the holidays, Hath’s HEroes donated more than 900 meals to DC area first responders. In the spring of 2020 in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hath’s Heroes program provided 3,962 meals to first responder and families affiliated with local non profits Kid Power and DC Central Kitchen.
Best Interviewer of 2021: T.J. Oshie
In the past this award has been given to Evgeny Kuznetsov. Unfortunately we didn’t get a lot of Kuzy sound bites this past season with no locker room access, Zooms only, and unavailability on Kuznetsov’s part. What we did get was some good sound bites from the other Zoom meetings especially from T.J. Oshie.
When the season began the hot mic caught him humming along to Pitbull’s Hotel Room Service. When he was fielding questions from the media, the smiling, always positive Oshie always told it like it is, the way a true leader is supposed to be.
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When Oshie’s exit interview came, he clearly stated his intentions to finish his career with the Capitals. Hopefully the team decides to protect him in the upcoming expansion draft. Those are our 2021 player awards. Do you agree with our list? Which players and/or categories did we miss? Let us know in the comments.