Aleksandr Ovechkin shines in the NHL at the age of 39 – how is that possible?

Washington The Russian captain of the Capitals Alexander Ovechkin is a very controversial figure.

He is known outside the trough Vladimir Putin supporter, who even today poses next to the tyrant in his Instagram profile picture.

But also inside the rink, Ovechkin has caused waves this fall that he was no longer believed to be capable of at the age of 39. Contrary to all expectations, Ovechkin has once again become one of the most talked about players in the NHL.

In his 12 matches of the season, he has scored 8+8 (+10). Only one of the goals has been created with superior power.

Ovechkin was chosen as the NHL’s best player last week.

“Ovechkin is a mystery. Usually, such a player ages quickly when he is still a raw goal scorer”, expert Raimo Summanen says.

With such a player, Summanen refers to a man with a heavy build, around 110 kilograms. Ovechkin does not really represent a particularly modern trend in NHL ice either with his style of play.

“He often plays completely apart from others, with his own script. But the big reason why he scores goals is that he dares to take on a role and do things outside the script,” Summanen reflects.

“Nowadays there is a lot of talk about speed, movement and skill. Ovechkin’s playing looks brutal. And he certainly can’t even move as much as he did when he was young,” when he was in the rink like a wild animal.

Ovechkin’s the time was thought to be over already last winter. At that time, after 43 matches, he had scored the same eight goals as now after only 12 matches.

After last spring and this fall’s top form, it seems inevitable that Ovechkin will take the all-time goalscoring record after all From Wayne Gretzky (894). The difference is only 33 goals.

“At one time, there was doubt for a long time whether Ovechkin could ever win the Stanley Cup. He finally won that (2018) and played a great game then. Now it seems that this goal record is the same thing for Ovechkin. It is man on a mission”, Summanen says.

Ovechkin’s play looks anything but winnable in most exchanges during matches. He glides along his own paths, often with his back straight, and defending isn’t always interesting either.

Last last week, a video clip began to spread on social media, in which Ovechkin was exceptionally eager to skate in a serious defensive direction.

Skating coach from Turku who also coached NHL players Tiia Hurme saw that video clip.

“His straight skating looks absolutely shocking. A club in two hands, a terrible hunchback”, Hurme smiles.

“But if he can skate hard like that and can make a break, then so be it. There are no style points to be awarded,” continues Hurme.

Ovechkin’s power skating also represents a bygone world. According to Hurmee, it is also anything but financial.

How then can Ovechkin still be a very high-yielding player in the NHL, where the importance of movement has grown dramatically in recent years?

Upon request, Hurme also watched clips of Ovechkin’s early season goals.

“He doesn’t take kicks, Hurme inches while watching Ovechkin’s latest,” Wednesday morning’s winning goal into Nashville’s net.

“He comes off the bench, goes to the wing, takes a kick with one of the other’s feet and slides it into the goal,” continues Hurme.

Formed a brilliant chain with Ovechkin in the early season Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas with their hard work get the puck to the Russian captain, who delivers it without hesitation Juuse Saros behind the back.

“Ovechkin has such an ability to read the game that he can slide into the right place. That is certainly his greatest strength, because he actually skates quite a bit,” says Hurme.

Looking at Ovechkin’s scoring streak, it becomes really clear that he still has a special ability to skate from outside the game situation to a place where, when he receives the puck, he can create a scoring position for himself with just a small movement.

“I’ve often said that someone can be a really good skater in training, but it’s about how you can bring it to the game yourself. That’s a completely different story,” continues Hurme.

Ovechkin is a reverse player in this regard. As in many other things. Summanen talks about a whim of nature.

“It is said that this is more and more a collective game, but Ovechkin is a complete exception here. He goes his own way and simply produces results. He totally is on-off-player. “

“If he makes that goalscoring record, it’s a really cool trick. Goals are facts. They were made anyway. “

Of certain ones Despite Ovechkin’s team-play freedoms, Washington has even been the biggest surprise in the entire NHL in the early season, even at the team level.

Rookie coach already last season Spencer Carbery unexpectedly took the team to the playoffs. Contrary to expectations, Carbery, 42, has pumped his team to an even more sensational flight this fall. The Capitals have won nine of their first 12 games.