Alex Ovechkin has returned to the Washington Capitals lineup after missing almost six weeks with a fractured fibula, and he has not missed a beat. In back-to-back games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, Ovechkin scored in both of them, and with 17 goals in 20 games, he is now just 24 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record.
Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk talked about Ovechkin’s return, and whether or not they can bet against him to break the record this season on Daily Faceoff Live.
Frank Seravalli: No chance. I thought it was such a telling sign. We knew he’d be motivated. It’s one thing to be motivated, but it’s another thing to come back the way that he has not playing for six weeks, he comes back in a back-to-back scenario, scores in both games, and not only that, but his minutes ratchet up in game two of the back-to-back as a 39-year-old to 20 minutes in the last game.
And he’s unfazed. He’s still manages to get on the board and is now 25 away. And to me, it’s a matter of when this season now and not if, because that’s the question we were all asking ourselves. How is this guy going to respond after missing so much time? Really one of the few, if any, extended, absences of his career. He’s played in so many available games of his team that I just think he’s put himself in this spot now where you’ve got to begin gassing up the jet if you’re Gary Bettman and Wayne Gretzky, circling some dates on the calendar.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Absolutely. By the way, that was just the second time this season he’s played north of 20 minutes last night against Detroit.
You mentioned the percentage of team games played and again, he doesn’t miss a lot of time. Among the highest percentage of games played for players who have spent 18 or more seasons with a single franchise, Alex Ovechkin has been in the lineup for 95.1% of the Washington Capitals games. Only three other players have a higher percentage than that.
It’s crazy and to see him, again, at 39 with really the first extended absence of his career to just show “oh no, I’m not phased at all. There is going to be no rust, I am just right back to it” is wildly impressive.