Alex Ovechkin: Great 8 Carrying Washington Capitals Back to Top of the Standings

With the Washington Capitals trailing by a goal entering the third period of Friday night's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, the team turned to their captain once again. Alex Ovechkin delivered, wiring one of his patented wrist shots over Cam Ward's shoulder to knot the game at one.  

Ovechkin, simply put, has been an enigma this season. Like the rest of his team, Ovechkin has suffered through some long scoring slumps. However, with the mad dash to the playoffs on, the Russian superstar has rebounded in a big way, leading the Caps to seven straight wins and back to the top of the Southeast Division.  

With his usual center man out of the lineup, as Nicklas Backstrom has been dealing with a nagging thumb injury, Ovechkin has caught fire, registering 11 points over the last seven games.  An even more encouraging sign for Capitals fans has been the way by which Ovechkin has been scoring.  

Against the Islanders on March 1, Ovechkin put on a clinic in overtime, rushing end-to-end to tally a breathtaking game-winning goal.  

On Monday, with the Capitals deadlocked with division rival Tampa Bay after overtime, Ovechkin delivered again, this time in a shootout. Ovechkin's move froze Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson, allowing him to rifle the shootout winner into the roof of the net.  

Two nights later, Ovechkin scored another highlight reel goal, this time against Edmonton. After stripping Oilers defenseman Kurtis Foster of the puck, Ovechkin capped off a beautiful two-man breakaway with Marcus Johansson by sending a laser off the crossbar to stake the Capitals to a three-goal lead.  

For Washington, Ovechkin's elevated play couldn't have come at a better time. The team looks to be improving and is more comfortable than ever in close games. In fact, all but one of the team's wins during their seven-game streak has been won by a goal.  

Being able to win close games is a vital component of any successful championship team, and the Capitals look more confident than ever in tight games. When a team has a player of Ovechkin's caliber firing on all cylinders, it's easy to see why.