Washington Capitals: Top 5 Alex Ovechkin goals of 2021
Alex Ovechkin scored 24 goals to get his career total to 730 in the Washington Capitals 56 game shortened season. Following this special 8/8 day we looked back at all 24 and narrowed the list down to five to present to you the top 5 goals. We can’t wait to see Ovechkin score goal after goal for the next five years as he inked a five year contract extension.
#5 Overtime winner vs. Bruins
On the final day in January, Ovechkin scored his second goal of the season in dramatic fashion making overtime Ovi-time. This was a scary game to be honest. The Caps went up 3-0 on goals from Nicklas Backstrom, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Richard Panik. The Bruins would score three unanswered goals before Ovechkin sent the invisible fans and cardboard cutouts home happy.
This was Ovechkin’s first home game of the season and his first game back from COVID-19 protocols. Ovechkin was part of a Russian four that hung out in a hotel room in Pittsburgh. What makes this goal cool was that this came from a drive right up the middle. It was a different type of Ovechkin goal compared from the office beauties we see night after night. Who says Ovechkin isn’t clutch?
#4 Farewell Phil
On March 16 the Caps had a big home game against the New York Islanders where they rocked the screaming eagle. T.J. Oshie gave the Caps the 1-0 lead before an Ovechkin goal right from his office on the power play doubled Washington’s lead. Nicklas Backstrom added a PPG in the third for good measure.
For Ovechkin. it was his 718th career goal which passed Phil Esposito on the all time goals list, putting him in sixth place. Ovechkin told the media after the game in an article by Roman Stubbs of The Washington Post (subscription required):
“It’s history. It’s pretty good numbers and happy to be in that category. It’s done. How I say, it’s history.”
Backstrom added:
“I think the way he shoots the puck, the way he scores, the way he plays the game is just fun to see. As a teammate, you’re just enjoying every moment.”
During a pause in the game action there was a video message from Esposito himself:
“Hey, Alex, I got to tell you, man, congratulations. You are a fantastic hockey player. I don’t know how you score all those goals with the way these guys block shots with the great equipment that they wear.”
And now a message from the great Phil Esposito for Alex Ovechkin on taking over sixth place on the all-time goals list!#ALLCAPS | #Gr8 pic.twitter.com/8NydChJFE8
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 17, 2021
#3 The 2nd of two clutch 3rd period goals to stun Rangers
Again who says Ovechkin isn’t clutch? He once again came through a couple nights after he passed Phil Esposito. Trailing 1-0 in the third, Ovechkin scored at 13:18 and 16:27 to flip the script. Both goals were similar as they didn’t come from the Ovechkin office. Instead, these goals were gritty as Ovechkin wasn’t afraid to drive to the net. That’s what made this goal special. It was the second of two goals in the final seven minutes of the game.
“Sometimes you have to get those really gritty ones. It’s still the same whether it’s goal from my spot [in the left faceoff circle] or whatever. It’s most important goal, and it’ll take it.”
Ovechkin’s efforts that night tied him with Gordie Howe for the fourth most career multi goal games (147). The three ahead of them are Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux. It was also Ovechkin’s 115th game winning goal which put him three shy of tying Phil Esposito for third place in NHL history. It marked the fifth straight game he scored and eighth in his last 10 games. it was easily Ovi’s best stretch of the season.
#2 A backhanded pass turned goal
In a March 26th contest against the New Jersey Devils, Ovechkin once again had a multi goal game. This time it was the first goal that made the cut for this list. This was no ordinary Ovechkin goal.
Entering the zone, Ovechkin did a sweet backhanded pass to Evgeny Kuznetsov. He then cut toward the goal with Kuzy feeding him the puck right in front for the slam dunk. It came early at 5:58 in the first period.
The Caps would also get goals from Nicklas Backstrom and Conor Sheary before Ovechkin added his second of the night in a 4-0 win.
“[Ovechkin] is a guy that takes a lot of pride in his game and a lot of pride in scoring goals and pride in his team being successful, and he knows that he’s a big part of that. Just the way things went down to start the year, it maybe didn’t get on track quite the way he wanted it at the beginning of the year, which probably fuels him even more.”
That is four goals and now there is one more left. Which one is number one?
#1 A PPG from the office
There wasn’t anything like The Goal or anything like Oshie’s acrobatics which made my cut as number one goal of the season but no Ovechkin goal is like one from the office. In a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on April 8, it was a power play blast on five on three from outside the office that rounds out this list.
This game wasn’t anything special and it was forgettable at best. But still it was one of several Ovechkin office goals that rounds out this list. I could’ve went with any one but I went with this one. At the time, it almost led the Caps to a comeback.
Which goal from Ovechkin was your favorite this past season? For me personally it was the one where he passed Phil Esposito. Now with 730 goals, he has Gretzky in his sights for the next five seasons.
More. Washington Capitals: Top 5 toughest games of 2021. light
How many goals do you think Ovechkin will get next season? If he can get at least 33 a season, he will no doubt catch Gretzky. Maybe he will score more than that next season but let’s hope he doesn’t score less after 24 goals last season. I want more to choose from when making a top 5 list for Ovi goals next season.