Alex Ovechkin will be player to watch against Golden Knights

Ahead of the Washington Capitals game against the Golden Knights we learned that Alex Ovechkin will be on the right wing instead of his usual left wing spot. Which is interesting. Something we rarely see in these times.

In Ovi's place on the left was Aliaksei Protas while Dylan Strome remained at center. This comes in the aftermath of the great eight not firing a shot on goal in opening night albeit he had an assist.

Ovi as we know has 853 carreer goals and needs 42 to pass Wayne Gretzky. Being signed with the Caps for the next two years, he would need to average 21 goals each season. Per the game notes Ovechkin has scored at least 42 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons and 21 or more goals in each of his 19 seasons.

If Ovechkin can reach 20 goals this season he would tie Ron Francis for the second most 20 goal seasons in NHL history and the GR8 can also join Gordie Howe (22) as the second player in NHL history to score 20 plus goals in 20 consecutive seasons.

With the assist the other day Ovi is now two assists away from 700 in his career and can become just the sixth player in NHL history with 700 plus goals and 700 plus assists. He would join the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Gordie Howe, Marcel Dionne, and Phil Espositio.

Additionally Ovechkin is 49 points shy of 1,600 career points and 73 games shy of 1,500 career games played. With Ovechkin moving to right wing, neither coach Spencer Carbery nor Alex Ovechkin himself made a big deal out of it.

We just mix it up. I have experience to play there, but it was a long time (ago). But, again, (if) you start on the left or right, it doesn't matter because in the game you're coming from offensive zone to D zone and you stay on the right side. So, play basically most of the time there - left or right.

The puck drops tonight at 7 p.m. on Monumental Sports Network.