Ovechkin Scores #800

Alexander Ovechkin, “The Great 8”, showed off some impressive moves to score his great 800th career goal. 

On December 13th, Washington went into Chicago for an out-of-conference game.  Washington had been red hot coming into this game and Chicago had been ice cold.  The result was not likely to be in doubt. The only question of the night was about Alex Ovechkin hitting 800 goals.

And, in typical Ovechkin fashion, he scored a hat trick to lead Washington to a 7-3 win, and Ovechkin’s 800th goal.

With the Caps pressuring in the third it was only a matter of time before they scored. With the puck dumped into the offensive zone, Capitals winger Anthony Mantha won a puck battle behind the net and centered a slot shot for Evgeni Kuznetsov which was saved by Chicago’s goaltender. With the puck still loose in the crease, panic and confusion set in for both teams. The puck eventually found its way to Ovechkin (the way it always finds great goal scorers) and he netted the rebound from in close.  

Drafted first overall in 2004 by Washington, Ovechkin now sits in 3rd place in all-time goals scored. He trails only Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894).

Watch Alex Ovechkin score his 800th goal

Letang Returns from Stroke

A couple of weeks ago, Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins had his second stroke at age 34. The Penguins were unsure of how long it would be until Letang would return.

The stroke Letang suffered was his second in under 10 years. Many wondered if Letang would ever play again given his history.  

This offseason Letang decided to re-sign with Pittsburgh, the team he has spent his entire career with, despite rumors that he wanted to leave. Teammates like Sidney Crosby expressed their concern for Letang’s well-being. With his reputation around the league, many wished him a speedy recovery.  

Their wish was granted because twelve days later, on December 10th, Letang played again, and he’s been playing well. Letang has looked amazing since rejoining the Penguins after the stroke. He scored his first goal since his return on December 15th.

Magic McDavid

For years now Edmonton’s Connor McDavid has taken the world by storm. Every year that McDavid plays he seems to find another gear that nobody thought was possible.  

At only age 25, McDavid is now drawing comparisons to Wayne Gretzky as the greatest NHL player of all time. While Ican’t say he’s the best player ever, he is certainly the best I’ve seen in my lifetime (with respect to Sidney Crosby as an honorable mention). So far this season, McDavid has a staggering 28 goals, 36 assists for 64 points in only 33 games. McDavid is casually scoring at a rate of .84 goals per game and 1.93 points per game (which is the 26th best single season point per game rate ever and the best since 1995). That doesn’t sound nearly as impressive till you remember that with more parity in the league, the defense and goaltending are better than it has ever been. It’s plausible to at least argue that if McDavid were in Gretzky’s era he would’ve been better.

Yet it seems like nobody is really talking about him this year. All the love is going to Jason Robertson, Jack Hughes, and Erik Karlsson (they all deserve it). But is it wrong for me to say that the best player in the world is underrated? Honestly, Connor McDavid has been so otherworldly this year that he looks like he’s playing in another era. I think the McDavid hype has died down only because everyone has accepted him as the undisputed best player in the league.  

His combination of size and skill is perfect. His offensive creativity and passing ability are nearly unparalleled. His blazing speed and great skating technique make him as elegant and fast as we’ve ever seen. And oh yeah, his shot is pretty good too. 

He is currently riding a 13 game point streak after recording 2 points against Nashville on December 19th. He is 12 points ahead of his teammate Leon Draisailtl for the point scoring race.

World Junior Championships Start December 26th

The very best U20 players from all around the world will be playing in one tournament starting on December 26th. This year’s World Junior Championship will be played in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and include 10 countries (Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Germany, Austria, United States, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia, and Latvia).

The American team is led by University of Michigan defenseman and New Jersey Devils prospect, Luke Hughes. The Americans look to avenge last year’s team who fell in the quarterfinals to Czechia. The Americans last took home the gold in 2021 when they defeated Canada 2-0.

Canada’s team is looking to take home the gold for a second year in a row.  On this year’s team is 2022 fourth-overall pick Shane Wright, who played in the NHL earlier this season. The team also includes 17-year-old Connor Bedard, a generational talent who is currently playing with the Regina Pats of the WHL and is NHL draft-eligible in 2023.

Noted by their absence is Russia. They were originally going to host this year’s games, but hosting rights have been revoked because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. On February 28th, 2022, the IIHF banned both Russia and Belarus from participating in this year’s World Juniors.

Game of the Night Action Over Winter Break

My picks for the most entertaining games to watch each night over winter break.

December 23rd: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres

December 24th: No games

December 25th: No games

December 26th: No games

December 27th: Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames

December 28th: Boston Bruins vs New Jersey Devils

December 29th: New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning

December 30th: Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes

December 31st: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Colorado Avalanche

January 1st: Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils

January 2nd: Vegas Golden Knights vs Colorado Avalanche