WASHINGTON | October 5, 2005, Alex Ovechkin unleashes an unstoppable one-timer (anyone surprised?) against the Columbus Blue Jackets from the slot and scores his first goal in the National Hockey League.
• Also read: Pierre-Luc Dubois finally feels in the right chair
Its celebration is beautiful to see and obviously testifies to an immense feeling of joy and personal accomplishment. After all, a first goal in the NHL doesn’t happen every day!
But almost 20 years and 872 goals (!) later, the Russian striker, who will soon become the top scorer in the history of the Bettman circuit, is still just as expressive. Still so hungry.
This morning, I pointed out to Capitals coach Spencer Carberry that “Ovie” seemed to display the same passion as when he started. The answer and the smile of the friendly instructor confirmed to me that I was not crazy.
“You are absolutely right! In fact, I’ve never seen him have a day where he’s in a bad mood when he hits the ice. I wish I had the power to press a button to have in front of me at the same time the Alex Ovechkin of his rookie season and the Alex Ovechkin of today, at 39 years old. Because like you said, I’m sure there would be no difference in his enthusiasm.
“And the same goes for his passion for scoring goals. You paste the video of his first NHL goal next to that of his most recent and the reaction is identical! Honestly, I firmly believe that this love for his sport is one of the main reasons behind his success.
Ben Pelosse / GoM
In the Capitals locker room, Pierre-Luc Dubois had a sparkling look in his eyes when talking about his spectacular teammate.
“To see him in the locker room and to be around him every day is a joy. He is so smiling, so joking. It contributes to a healthy atmosphere in the room. I’ve been watching him play since I was little and to be able to play with him is just… special.”
“He’s a legend”: Dubois on Ovechkin –
When I reported the comments of Carberry and Dubois to Martin St-Louis, the Canadiens coach, who faced Ovechkin as a player for several seasons, did not hesitate to agree.
“You won’t play until you’re 39 if you don’t love what you do. You see immediately that he is passionate about game. What impresses me about him is that when you look at his career, you can say he could beat you in a lot of ways. If you wanted to play physical with him, he could respond, if you wanted to play finesse, he also knew how to respond. He’s a guy who has a lot of tools and, above all, he knows when to use them.”
“The best shooter in history”
Obviously, whoever wants to score 872 goals in the NHL.
Among Ovechkin’s “many tools” is an absolutely terrific throw. Incomparable. That we may never see again.
“You have to constantly know where he is on the ice. He’s the best shooter in history!” Alexandre Carrier told us bluntly this morning, a few hours before a clash against the big number eight.
Pierre-Luc Dubois went even further.
“Some guys are proclaimed “legends” after their career, but he is a legend who still plays! Sometimes you see him score and you say to yourself that if that shot had come from you, he would never have beaten the goalkeeper, but him, his shot is a gift. He is exceptional.”
A special stick…and very important
The interesting aspect behind a road trip as a journalist assigned to the Canadiens is this opportunity to see certain things and have certain discussions that you would probably never be able to see/have while staying in Montreal.
Among these, this discovery concerning Ovechkin’s stick.
At 6-foot-3, the Russian is one of the tallest players on his team. But look how short his stick is compared to those of Dubois and Jacob Chychrun, for example.
“Alex finds that the feeling is better when he shoots,” a member of the Capitals told me this morning.
Photo TVA Sports, Anthony Martineau
Ovechkin has been using custom-made sticks from the Pro Stock Hockey company for several months. He is also the only Capitals player to do the same.
“Recently, CCM and Bauer stopped producing poles that met its standards for comfort and flexibility. He therefore decided to take matters into his own hands,” added this source.
From my point of view, Ovechkin would find a way to score with a tree branch. But why deprive yourself of absolute comfort when you are a few weeks away from breaking a world record?
Related News :