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Ovechkin’s slump nearing catastrophic proportions?

Image (1) Ovechkinski-thumb-200x300-7855.jpg for post 504

For 95% of the players in the NHL, 12 points in 13 games would be pretty respectable, if not incredible. For Alex Ovechkin, it’s an increasingly worrisome slump. The NHL’s most exciting player has come down to earth over the past month of hockey, with just three goals and nine assists since February 7th. That night against the Penguins, Ovechkin had a hat trick and four points. Since then, it’s been a bit more....normal.

The good news is that the Capitals have still managed to maintain their high level of play, although it’s getting to the point where Caps fans have to start becoming concerned. Japers’ Rink has this to say about the slump:

But it goes without saying that for the Caps to have any success when it matters, they’ll need Ovi to be the goal-scoring dynamo he’s known for being; during their captain’s slump (which stands at 15 games for the team), they’ve won eight games and lost seven (including four in the shootout and one in overtime). For all the talk of how the Caps aren’t a one-man team - and rest assured, they aren’t - there’s no question from whom they take their lead.

Since Ovechkin’s ‘slump’ began, the Capitals have had nine of their 15 games go to overtime. Their inability to close out games or maintain leads is certainly concerning, and the inability of Ovechkin to find his magical scoring touch is most likely a good reason for all of the extra hockey.

I’ve said it before, but Ovechkin going through this down time now is good for the Capitals in the long run. Now, if this continues into the playoffs, well...Washington will be in some trouble.