WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin didn't like the way things went last year, when the Washington Capitals suffered a first-round sweep at the hands of the New York Rangers and he was held without a point. So, he did something about it.
Admittedly "bothered" by how the series ended — and shouldering a bit of the blame for it last season — Ovechkin returned to Russia and had an intense summer of training. Then, he came back to Washington for the season, and the rest is, quite literally, history.
"I went to his birthday dinner in September at the beginning of the year; he wasn't talking about (Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals) record, but he was talking about having a good crack at the Cup and making it to the playoffs and getting the team there," Tom Wilson said.
Ovechkin led the charge for the new-look Capitals to go from barely sneaking into the playoffs to finishing atop the Eastern Conference standings. At 39, despite missing 16 games after breaking his leg, he finished the regular season with 44 goals to take sole ownership as the league's all-time leading goal scorer, and also added 29 assists for 73 points in 65 outings.
"I think it bothered him the way things went (against the New York Rangers). And what I appreciate about O as a captain and as a leader as an athlete is it can bother you, about the way things go and when you don't necessarily play your best. But then what he does, is he goes and does something about it," coach Spencer Carbery said.
Now, with the regular season said and done and the Capitals officially kicking off the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, his eyes are on the ultimate prize.
"Regular season is over, this is why you play six months, working out, for this kind of moment," Ovechkin said, adding, "It's why you work all year hard to be able to be in this position, in this situation. It's a fun time of the year."
Looking at the rugged captain, a lot has changed for him over his previous 15 visits to the postseason. He's older now, more experienced and familiar with the ebbs, flows and nuances that come with playoff hockey. He has also had to adapt and tweak his style to keep up with the ever-changing game.
What hasn't changed, though, is his ambition, motivation and drive. And if you ask him, he'd trade all the goals and records in the world for another Stanley Cup on his mantle.
"He's one of the hungriest hockey players I've ever been around, whether it's scoring goals or hunting for another Cup," Wilson said. You can see that he really wants it.
"... There's a lot of cool stuff that happened, but the whole year, he's been talking about the most important thing being winning," he added. "We feel that here in this room, and he drives the bus for us."
That's why, entering this first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, Ovechkin's mind is clear, as he and the group put a rough end to the regular season out of mind and hit reset for the start of a new objective.
"I'm pretty sure, as soon as the puck drops, everybody gonna be in motivation mode. Beast mode," Ovechkin said.
The Capitals open the first round on Monday as they host the Canadiens for Game 1, and there, Carbery is confident they'll see the "beast mode" version on No. 8.
"I think he's very driven, very driven... Looking forward to watch him," Carbery said.
