It’s little consolation the day after the Capitals’ season ended in mammoth disappointment in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But star forward Alex Ovechkin has been named a finalist for the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s most valuable player. Ovechkin has won the award each of the past two seasons. He’ll likely face a stiffer challenge this time around from Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby and Vancouver center Henrik Sedin.
Ovechkin would be only the third player to win the award three years in a row. The others? Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. Ummm…that’s beyond good company. Ovechkin led the NHL with 1.51 points per game and .69 goals per game. He missed 10 because of injuries and two separate suspensions. It’s a legitimate question iif some Professional Hockey Writer’s Association voters held those suspensions against him. Ovechkin finished second to Crosby and Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos is goals (50) and tied for second in points with Crosby (109). He was also named team captain on Jan. 5 and led the Caps to a 30-4-7 record from that point on. Washington finished with 121 standings points and earned the Presidents’ Trophy for the NHL’s best record.
Playoff stats don’t matter for this award. Votes had to be in the day the playoffs started. But for what it’s worth – Ovechkin had five goals and five assists in the seven-game series against Montreal. Crosby (14 points) and Sedin (1 goal, 7 assists) both led their teams to first-round wins.
