The Alex Ovechkin era might slowly be coming to an end.
Ovi was held without a single point in the Washington Capitals’ Round 1, 2024 NHL Playoff series against the New York Rangers. The Rangers swept the Capitals on Sunday, advancing onto Round 2 with a 3-2 victory in Game 4.
Alex Ovechkin is held pointless in the NHL Playoffs for the first time in his career 😳 pic.twitter.com/EaEVpUMscu
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 29, 2024
Ovechkin finishes the 2024 NHL playoffs with zero points, five shots, and a -2 plus-minus rating. It’s the first time in his lengthy NHL career that he hasn’t recorded a point in the postseason.
Alex Ovechkin 2024 Playoff Stats
Stat | Value |
---|---|
Games Played | 4 |
Goals | 0 |
Assists | 0 |
Points | 0 |
Plus/Minus | -2 |
Shots on Goal | 6 |
Ovechkin struggled mightily and was uncharacteristically unproductive as the Capitals were eliminated by the Rangers in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Ovechkin has typically always been a playoff performer, notching 72 goals and 69 assists in 151 career postseason games. We’re glad he got his Stanley Cup back in 2018 because this recent postseason performance was tough to watch.
While the Rangers were heavy favorites to advance, it’s surprising to see Ovechkin made completely ineffective by an opponent. The Great Eight was a complete non-factor, indicating Ovechkin’s NHL retirement might not be far off.
Ovi had turned it on in the second half of the regular season after beginning the year with just six goals in his first 30 games. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to carry the momentum into the playoffs.
It’s pretty clear, given the lopsided Rangers vs Capitals series, that Washington’s priority moving forward will be getting Ovechkin the NHL all-time goal record. It’s unlikely the Caps will be able to make another lengthy playoff run with their current core. The priority should be entrenching Ovi’s name in NHL history.
We wouldn’t believe you if you had told us one week ago that Matt Rempe would outscore Alex Ovechkin in the 2024 NHL Playoffs. But that’s exactly what transpired, as the Rangers swept the Caps.
Father Time truly comes for us all.