The moment he hit the ice for the first time, there was no denying that Alex Ovechkin was a star. Few players make their way to the NHL to emerge as an instant all-star—something Ovechkin did as a rookie in 2005-06 when he scored 52 goals and netted 106 points.
Since his rookie season Ovechkin has continually posted all-star-calibre numbers, accumulating point totals of 92 (2006-07), 112 (2007-08), 110 (2008-09) and 109 (2009-10). Over that time span Ovechkin registered goal totals of 46 (2006-07), 65 (2007-08), 56 (2008-09), 50 (2010-11).
While Ovechkin’s career totals are impressive, many NHL pundits have been debating whether or not Ovechkin has been evolving as a player—a debate that took off last season as a result of Sidney Crosby’s strong play in 2009-10.
Try as he might to avoid such comparisons, Ovechkin has long been compared to Crosby, and his Washington Capitals to Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Both players went first overall in their draft years, both players were saddled with the expectation of saving their respective franchises.
For the most part, both Ovechkin and Crosby have d ...
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Article written by Mark Ritter
Alex Ovechkin: How Far Has His Star Fallen?
December 23rd, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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