One thing that I love about hockey is seeing long-time veterans of the game get a well-deserved send-off. So many veterans have gotten handshakes from the entire Dallas Stars team after their final game at the American Airlines Center over the seasons. This could have been with Alex Ovechkin's final game in Dallas tonight. He could have tormented the Stars one more time by scoring his 900th career goal. However, Jake Oettinger shut that down by shutting out the Capitals tonight.
Ovechkin has tortured the Stars over his illustrious career with the Capitals. Even though he only has 12 goals and nine assists against Dallas, every one-timer he fired at the net made Stars fans skip a beat because of how fast that puck was flying at the net. I've mentioned in most of my pregame reports against the Capitals that the Stars have to cover the left faceoff circle because that's where he does the most damage. It's going to feel weird if I don't have to include that in future pregame reports next season.
Sidney Crosby and Ovechkin have been the faces of the NHL for more than a decade. Every time their teams face off, everyone tunes in because both players play at such a high level late in their careers. Look at how the Pittsburgh Penguins have started the season this year. We might be in for another good couple of matchups between two of the best players to have been in the league for the past decade.
I was happy to see that the Stars fans were very respectful towards him tonight. Right.m toHe is one of the best players, along with Wayne Gretzky, to ever suit up in this league. I don't care if you have a grudge against him or not. He deserves to be respected for being one heck of a hockey player and for staying with one team throughout his career. I was happy to see that the Stars fans were very respectful towards him tonight.
If this is truly his final game in Dallas tonight, I wish him all the best in retirement and all his future hockey endeavors. There might not be another player like him for some time. A player of his caliber was rarely able to break Gretzky's record. I thought Ovechkin would never break the record after he had a leg fracture. It just goes to show the determination of Russian hockey players. As I finish this article, I toast Ovechkin with a White Monster since I don't drink alcohol for one heck of a hockey career.