When you look back at the Red Wings previous three games, they’re a solid 2-1-0, meaning they haven’t quite tapped out of their playoff drought-ending chase. The Wings, though, have more than just an elite opponent coming up on their slate.
Yeah, the Washington Capitals are good enough to scare anyone in the Eastern Conference who dares to enter their path. But this game would be just another contest down the stretch if there weren’t some even higher stakes involved.
At the present moment, Alex Ovechkin’s chase to catch and pass Wayne Gretzky in most goals scored all time might be just as sweet if not sweeter than winning the Stanley Cup. Will Ovechkin break Gretzky’s record vs. Detroit? No. Or better yet, if he did, something was seriously wrong.
But that’s beside the point. Should he score tomorrow, the Red Wings will be yet another team that fell victim to Ovechkin’s legendary chase when he’s oh, so close to passing who many consider the greatest hockey player ever.
Where does Alex Ovechkin currently stand in his quest to best Gretzky?
The magic number for Alex Ovechkin to hit is 895, and with 887 goals, he’s just seven away from tying Wayne Gretzky, eight from claiming the record, and 13 from hitting 900. So, like I said, something’s seriously wrong if Ovechkin scored eight goals and set a new record vs. the Red Wings.
But still, a team looking to claw their way back into serious contender mode can’t afford to let Ovechkin score anything. Let alone set the stage for what could be a big night for the 20-year veteran and watch him snag a hat trick.
Yeah, against any other team, fans in Hockeytown may watch in awe as The Great 8 continues to pursue and ultimately set a new standard. Yet, if the Wings can shut down Ovechkin, they’re shutting down a player who isn’t just their best scorer, but currently one of the best scorers in all of the NHL even at his advanced age.
Red Wings will be in trouble if Ovechkin gets hot early
Should Ovechkin get hot early, the Red Wings will be dealing with an equally hot Washington Capitals team. One that is also pursuing the No. 1 overall seed in the NHL Playoffs that will guarantee them home-ice advantage throughout.
So, Ovechkin’s relentless pursuit of Gretzky’s record will motivate them, but the entire team has even more of a reason to exploit what has been a Red Wings team that likes to fall apart for stretches at a time. Something head coach Todd McLellan was only too happy to point out after the Wings lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.
While the Red Wings wouldn’t want to be added to the list of inevitable teams that allowed a goal as Ovechkin crept well into the ‘10 to go’ range, there’s even more of an incentive to stop the most legendary player in Washington Capitals history: It’s called getting two points and ending these long, exhausting eight seasons without a postseason berth.