Even standing in front of a milestone is Steven Stamkos completely captivated by the performance of a Alex Oveckin, who reached the 800-goal mark in Tuesday’s Washington Capitals’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Stamkos has 1,006 points (497 goals, 509 assists) after 950 regular season games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning captain is three goals away from being included in the 500-goal, 1,000-point club of active NHL players, which includes Ovechkin with 1,305 points (800 goals, 644 assists) and Sidney Crosby with 1137 points (534 goals, 913 assists) of the Pittsburgh Penguins to join.
Video: WSH@CHI: Ovechkin scores hat-trick with his 800th
“He’s scored so many goals, it’s quite extraordinary. It’s hard to believe and he will continue to score in the future. It’s amazing to have such consistency. He’s the top scorer, and not just during my career, but of all time. I’ve played against him my entire career. The kid is impressive to watch. There is his unique tempo, of course, which is unique, but he scores goals in so many ways. I’m not only fascinated by his shooting, but also by how he gets into position. Maybe some people don’t even understand what an amazing player they’re looking at,” Stamkos said on Thursday.
Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper shared with Stamkos how important he is to the team and what unites his captaincy with Ovechkin and Crosby.
“His 2-way game has steadily improved over the years and he is still hugely successful up front. First and foremost a player has to have the talent. These guys are so talented. Ovechkin, Crosby, Stamkos deliver performances long, also challenge injuries. With the exception of Ovi, who has never been injured longer. They have the desire to come back, to be successful and to be the best. In the future, you will look back and only then will you realize how good they were,” Cooper said.
