What is a point in hockey?

As we gear up for the 50th anniversary season of Washington Capitals hockey it's time for more lessons and refresher courses as we gear up for what should be a landmark season for the franchise itself.

What is a point in hockey?

In the regular season a point in hockey is when you rack up either a win or an overtime loss. One of the most controversial things about the Eastern Conference playoff race was that Detroit Red Wings fans, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelhphia Flyers fans alike complained about the point system. Well in the end the Caps had to win out to get in and they did just that.

When it comes to statistics you get a point by either racking up a goal or an assist. For example say Alex Ovechkin notches two goals and one assist on a random game. That would mean Ovi has three points on the night.

In other news about Ovechkin, he recently said he would've already broken Wayne Gretzky's goals record had there wasn't any lockouts or pandemics. We agree as if none of those things happened we'd be doing a countdown to 1,000 goals article right about now.

Ovechkin ended the season with 853 career goals putting him just 41 from 894. A number many folks thought was impossible for him to reach. But what Ovi can do is he can make the impossible possible. Ovechkin was drafted in 2004 and fans had to wait a whole year just to see him suit up in a Capitals sweater. That's one whole season gone.

Then in 2020 the world just stopped and right before it did Ovechkin was on a tear. Ovechkin recently talked about the challenges of his last 19 years in a Russian language interview on Podcasts with Amirian Sardarov. The interview was transcribed by sports.ru. In English via Google translate, Ovechkin said:

"If there had been no lockout and no pandemic, I think Gretzky's record would have been broken by now. But, unfortunately, such moments happen."

Per Chris Cerullo of RMNB, Ovechkin has missed 59 total games in his career and 35 of those due to injury. Alas the lockout and pandemic cost him another 155 games. But the way the game has changed over the years, getting a point in the NHL when you're on the ice is harder than ever. But what makes Ovi different is that he can find a way to do it with ease.