- Alex Ovechkin has gone four games without a goal to start 2026-27
- Spencer Carbery says he is “not even close” to being concerned
- Read below for the streak history and Sunday’s game against Seattle
Spencer Carbery isn’t losing sleep over Alex Ovechkin’s slow start.
Carbery was asked Saturday at what point Ovechkin’s goalless streak becomes a concern. The Capitals coach chuckled before answering.
“(I’m) not even close to there,” Carbery said. “I don’t know the exact time (I’d get worried), but not concerned with it at all.”
Ovechkin has zero goals and one assist through four games, with five shots on net. The assist came on opening night against the Hurricanes, and Washington sits at 3-1 anyway.
Carbery pointed to what Ovechkin did Friday in the 3-1 win over the Rangers. The Capitals’ own recap has Igor Shesterkin making a big stop on him early in the second period, and Carbery liked the look of that whole line.
Carbery talked about the chances Ovechkin generated, including a tip at the net front and a one-timer.
“[Ovechkin] gets a sneaky chance early in the game…a little tip at the net front, which he gets a piece of,” Carbery said. “Obviously the one-timer chance. So, yeah, I thought their line did a pretty good job for the most part last night with Stromer and Beau.”
Watch the highlights from Friday’s game:
Shesterkin left that game hurt and is now out for the season, which is a separate problem for New York.
Ovechkin has been here before. He opened with a four-game goalless streak in 2025-26, 2023-24 and 2012-13, and scored in Game 5 each time.
The workload is smaller this year, too. After announcing that this is his final NHL season, he hasn’t topped 14:05 in any game, and his opener ice time was a career low.
He still has 929 career goals, 35 clear of Wayne Gretzky. The Capitals host the Kraken on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
