Caps and Ovechkin lead the NHL

Caps Today:

• Ovi is on – Alex Ovechkin has a hand in seven of the Capitals’ 10 goals in the four games since he returned from NHL suspension (3g-4a). He has tied Nicklas Backstrom for the team lead in scoring with 37 points in 25 games and leads the league in goals per game (0.84) and points per game (1.48). Ovechkin leads the league with seven multiple-goal games and with eight first goals of the game. He has scored the Caps’ first goal in 11 of the 25 games he has played.



• Double trouble – Washington is the only team in the NHL with five players in double-digits in goals: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Tomas Fleischmann, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. The Capitals and San Jose are the only teams with three 30-plus point scorers while the Capitals and Los Angeles are the only teams with six 20-plus point scorers (entering Monday’s games).



• Top of the world –The Capitals enter Monday’s action with an NHL-leading 46 points through 33 games, just the second time they have led the NHL standings this late in a season (also 1991-92). That season was the last time any Washington, D.C., major pro sports team led its league (the Redskins also led the NFL at that time).



• This season’s Capitals posted their best record through 30 games in franchise history and lead the league in goals (115), power play (23.9%) and fewest regulation losses (7). They are the second-fastest Capitals team to reach 20 victories (trailing 1991-92).



• Marching two by two – Six Capitals have combined to produce eight multiple-goal games in their last eight games (two by Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom, one each by Eric Fehr, Tomas Fleischmann, Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin). On the season nine Capitals have combined for 24 two-goal games, but no hat tricks yet. No other team has more than six players with multiple-goal games or 14 total multiple-goal games.



• Against the West – The Capitals, at 3-1-1, are one of six Eastern Conference teams with a winning record against the Western Conference. Washington is tied with New Jersey and the New York Islanders for the fewest games against the other conference thus far. Tuesday’s game is Washington’s first against a Western opponent since Nov. 13 (against Minnesota), its first in a Western building since Oct. 10 (at Detroit) and its first of the year outside the Eastern time zone.

After returning from two game suspension, Ovi is back in leading the NHL in goals and assists that mattered. The weekly unique stats by Ken Campbell, Dec. 14, 2009:

1. Alex Ovechkin   WSH 37 

2. Sidney Crosby   PIT 35.5

3. Mike Cammalleri MTL 32.5

4. Teemu Selanne   ANA 29

5. Zach Parise     NJ  29

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In regular stats Alex is second (21) to Marian Gaborik (23) in goals, tied for 4th in points (37), tied for 2nd in +/- (16), 2nd in shots (136) with total of 25 games played (missed 8 games). If he wouldn't miss these 8 games, Ovechkin could easily lead in all above categories, imagine that.

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