Is it Over for Ovi?

With yet another playoff exit before the Conference Finals, the question needs to be asked.

Ok.

I know it’s only been a day since the Washington Capitals were eliminated in Game Seven by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Washington fans are probably telling me to piss off, but it has to be asked.

Was this the defining moment for the career of Alexander Ovechkin?

I know the man is only 31 years of age and we see great players like Jaromir Jagr somehow play to 45. However, in a season where the Caps were able to win the Presidents trophy for the third time in the Ovechkin Era (2009–20010, 2015–2016 and 2016–2017) they still fall short of making the Eastern Conference Finals, let alone winning the Stanley Cup.

This is not question of whether or not Ovi is one of the most prolific scorers of all time. That is beyond questioning. The real issue is what kind of leader he is. What will his legacy be once his career is over?

Well, with this latest loss to archrival Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, it’s hard to say it hasn’t been tarnished. Can Ovi simply not get it done in crunch time, or is he unfortunate to play a Pittsburgh Penguins team loaded with stars?

I find it hard to say that a man who has won three Hart Trophies, three Lester B.Pearson Awards, an Art Ross and an outstanding six Rocket Richard Trophies that he can’t get it done. However, Ovechkin has not been the same guy at playoff time that we’ve seen over the regular season. With this latest heartbreaking loss, his legacy as a leader will forever be in question.

Alexander’s plus minus in this year’s playoff was -4, his lowest ever in a playoff run. He was also a -2 in a 0–2 Game Seven. That says something. The team looked flat at times when they should have been loaded on all cylinders. Game Three in particular comes to mind. I remember watching this game, seeing the Caps second goal, and thinking “that was kind of lucky”. The Capitals didn’t put any squeeze or pressure on a team that just lost their captain. The game ended up going into overtime.

That to me was the moment when I no longer believed that the Capitals could win the series.

Washington of course forced a seventh game, and good on them for that, but I never really believed that the Caps could ultimately triumph over Pittsburgh. There is no doubt that the onus belongs to the team as a whole, including the coaching staff.

However how much of the fault of not leading the team goes to the man wearing the “C”?

I don’t see the Capitals fielding a team this good in the next couple years. Many of the players around Ovechkin are in the last year of their contracts, and a few expect to be paid big.

Impending Capitals Free Agents

This is the second year in a row that Alex Ovechkin has led the Washington Capitals to a 55 plus win season and won the Presidents Trophy. That is an impressive accomplishment, worthy of praise on its own. The fact remains, though, we never remember the “winners” of the regular season, just those who raise Lord Stanley.

So where does this leave Ovi in terms of the all-time greats? How will he be remembered for showing up so much in the regular season only to lose early and often in the playoffs? He still has time left, but I’m not sure he ever gets to the mountain top.

Unless he pulls a full Kevin Durant — Alexander the Great may never be a champion.

Shotaro Moore is a new writer to The Ocho, focusing on the NHL, NFL and Olympic athletes. For some of the latest stories on the 2018/2020 Olympic Games, follow Shotaro Honda Moore at The Ocho.