Ovechkin's talents shine in the NHL playoffs.

The Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin made it to the second round of the NHL playoffs. The Capitals' captain has had a busy regular season chasing and breaking Gretzky's record (894) and finishing it at 897 goals. A Russian-born star embraces challenges with unwavering resilience. It's in his nature.

It wasn't an easy ride against the young and hungry Montreal Canadiens. So, Ovechkin enjoyed reduced playing time and contributed five points (4+1) in the series. 

Anyone who knows Ovi and his family is not surprised by his long and successful career. Raised by a two-time Olympic and six-time European champion mother and a former soccer player father, Alex was around sports from his first steps. He met many famous Soviet athletes and coaches in his childhood, and they witnessed his growth for years. 

A legendary goalie, Vladislav Tretiak, was one of them. Tretiak gives a few reasons why Ovechkin's shot from the office is still unstoppable. 

"Well, when I played hockey, sticks were completely different. They were wooden and didn't bend. Sticks are one of the factors. The strength of Ovechkin's strike, the power he invests in it, is another. You can stop it only with your body. You need skills for that. A player has to look at the person who passes to him. His partners distract the opponent players and then give Ovechkin the last pass. He immediately, right away, hits a puck and scores."

One of the most recognized faces in global sports doesn't like comparisons and says that Gretzky, Hull, Kharlamov, Ovechkin, and McDavid are all great in their own way. Different generations demand different heroes. To be more specific, Tretiak jokes that he didn't play against McDavid, only against Gretzky. So, he doesn't know who is more advanced in his craft. He remembers being amused by Gretzky's lean physique beside muscular Soviet players. Different generations demand different heroes. 

Another generous view of Ovechkin's abilities comes from the Olympic champion and Team Russia star, Alex Kovalev, who played 1316 games in the NHL. "Sanya is a healthy, physically well-developed guy, so playing five minutes is not a problem for him. Sanya doesn't surprise anyone; you can expect anything from him. Any puck, no matter if it's uncomfortable, awkward, jumping, or flying, he can shoot it. That's what talent is all about: being able to shoot a puck from any position," Kovalev said. 

Alex Ovechkin has had 11 shifts lasting over four minutes in his career. A recent one happened against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 25, 2025. Ovechkin spent 4:43 on the ice in the third period, looking for opportunities to create and capitalize. At 39, he continues mesmerizing fans by eating Lays potato chips and Subway sandwiches on flights during road trips and stretching his fitness abilities to almost five-minute shifts. 

Former Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers player had an infamous long shift. Imagine a seven-and-a-half-minute experience on the ice. But it's not what everyone thinks. "If you look at it that way, he spent as much time as I did. It was five minutes at the end of the second period and two and a half minutes in the third. We played the same amount of time if you don't count the split between the second and third periods," Kovalev explained. "Everyone thinks I played seven and a half minutes in one period. I played the last five minutes of the second and started two and a half minutes of the third. It wasn't one period but one shift." It sounds surreal to this day.

The picture of Ovechkin's on-ice presence wouldn't be complete without a few straightforward points from a defenceman. A fellow countryman, Mikhail Sergachev, has solid experience managing Ovechkin's force. Is it even possible? "Many people think that he only scores from his office," Sergachev said." It isn't easy to close him because he has a lot of strength and creativity and can shoot from any position. You blink for a second, and that's it. He gets a puck and scores."

The Capitals are preparing to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. That's when Alex Ovechkin's and everyone's fitness will have to radiate. The Carolina's head coach, Rob Brind'Amour, can write a book about players' conditioning. The "wear and tear" round is coming up, and Ovechkin doesn't need to have five-minute shifts, just be himself.