Alex Ovechkin's Love Life Sizzles While His Hockey Fizzles

Alex Ovechkin's hockey is hitting new lows as his love life touches new highs.

The slumping captain of the Capitals has begun a new relationship with Russian tennis star Maria Kirilenko. 

Ovechkin proudly tweeted the news with this picture.

The tweet was not a shock. On Monday, the Montreal Gazette opened up the door to speculation when they brought up the rumor these two were dating.

At least Alex Ovechkin is scoring off of the ice. Ovie has just eight goals in 23 games this year.

He has not been as passionate on the ice. His characteristic fire has been replaced by a player going through the motions.

His uninspired play led to inevitable conclusions that he was unhappy with head coach Bruce Boudreau and playing to get him fired. If that was his plan, it worked. Boudreau was fired on Monday.

This leaves Ovie with a bundle of new relationships where they matter most. He has a new girlfriend and a new coach.

Now it is time to see if he really was tanking it to get a new coach. If his slump continues, this is going to lead fans to a new theory that Ovechkin has gone soft because he is in love.

It would be hard to blame him for at least not being a little distracted, seeing as how he has this waiting for him off the ice.

Perhaps now the speculation should be that Ovie is trying to play his way into a trade. Some place with more beaches.