Great 8 deep-sixes Jets

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This article was published 24/03/2024 (559 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Alex Ovechkin ultimately enters the Hockey Hall of Fame, likely as the greatest pure goal scorer in NHL history, there’s a good chance the Winnipeg Jets will be all over the highlight reel.

The Great Eight has taken a blow-torch to the organization over the years.

In that sense, Sunday was just another routine day at the office for Ovechkin. Playing his 73rd career game against the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers, he scored career goals No. 54 and 55 and points No. 99 and 100.

“It just seems like one chance, it’s in your net,” Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo said of the danger Ovechkin poses.

“I mean, the faceoff goal is hilarious. What do you there? Two guys shoot the puck at the same time, he gets the last touch and it goes off one of our sticks.”

That was Ovechkin’s first of the game Sunday which made it 2-0 for the Capitals. Winnipeg centre Adam Lowry had fallen on the faceoff, and Ovechkin and teammate Connor McMichael both swatted at the loose puck that was sitting on the dot. It hit Jets defenceman Nate Schmidt and trickled through Connor Hellebuyck’s pads.

“When you’re a goal-scorer, you score a lot of different ways, and he’s the best goal-scorer of all-time, so unfortunately I’ve seen him score a lot up close and personal,” said DeMelo.

“You just try to take away time and space, try to clog things up, make him play defense, but he doesn’t need many looks to get it in.”

Following the game, Ovechkin told reporters he wasn’t sure who would get credit for what he admitted was a “lucky one.”

“I’ll take it,” he said. “Right now it doesn’t matter who, how. It’s important to us right now.”

The Capitals moved back into an Eastern Conference wildcard playoff spot, with the 38-year-old Ovechkin leading the way. After a slow start to the season, he’s back in vintage form and now has goals in five straight games (eight, in total, in that span). Overall, he has 26 goals and 32 assists in 67 games this year,

“He’s probably the straw that’s stirring this drink in here,” said Jets associate coach Scott Arniel, who was an assistant coach with Washington for four seasons prior to joining Winnipeg two years ago.

“When he gets going that team is obviously up and running, and no disrespect to anyone else, but he’s a force out there. He creates a lot of… teams have to know where he is at all times at 5-on-5 and then you throw him on that power play. I’ve seen it before when he gets hot. That’s what you’ve seen in the second half of the year.”

Ovechkin is now up to 848 career goals (in 1,414 games), which is second in NHL history. That leaves him just 46 away from tying Wayne Gretzky. At this rate, there’s a chance he gets there at some point late next season.

However, he’s more focused on the present.

“Right now you just see how we play, I think everybody have confidence. Everybody understands the situation,” said Ovechkin.

A win over the Jets is a big step in the right direction.

“They’re one of the best teams in the league. It was a huge test for us to fight through it, find a way,” he said.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT — A pair of young Winnipeg Jets prospects keep turning heads and making waves.

Brad Lambert, 20, had two assists on Sunday for the Manitoba Moose in their 5-2 loss to the Abbotsford Heat, giving him a team-leading 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) in 55 AHL games this season. He’s now up to fourth-best in all-time rookie scoring for the Moose, trailing only Mason Appleton, Sami Niku and Sean Tallaire. Lambert, the 30th-overall pick in 2022, sits second in AHL rookie scoring this season behind Logan Stankoven, who recently got called up to the Dallas Stars and is now playing a regular role in the NHL.

Meanwhile, Rutger McGroarty’s Michigan club lost a tough Big 10 Championship Final on Saturday to Michigan Tech, 5-4 in overtime. (He had an assist). However, the 19-year-old’s season will continue next weekend as his team is one of 16 competing in the NCAA Men’ss Hockey Tournament. McGroarty, the 14th overall pick in 2022, was named a member of the All-Big Ten First Team after a terrific season in which he had 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) in 33 games. It remains to be seen whether McGroarty opts to turn pro when his college campaign is over and immediately join the Jets, or if he’s headed back for one more year.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg