Alex Ovechkin Playing Most Complete Hockey of Career in 1st Finals

For the past 13 seasons, Alex Ovechkin has proven that he can score goals.

But over those years, the Washington Capitals star has been able to deke his way out of criticism of being a one-dimensional player — at least compared to other future Hall of Famers from his era. Unlike arch-nemesis Sidney Crosby, the Russian winger has yet to win a Stanley Cup to cement his legacy.

After Saturday night’s 3-1 Capitals win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Ovechkin is now just two wins away from shutting those critics up. It’s no surprise that he fired up the home crowd at Washington’s Capital One Arena by scoring the first goal of the game. What may have been even more impressive, though, is his sacrificing his body to block a hard shot from Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt in the final two minutes to bail out his goalie.

“Rewatch and relive the goal, then,” wrote The Washington Post‘s Barry Svrluga. “But in that blocked shot is everything Ovechkin is giving, at the end of his 13th season, to win his first Stanley Cup. It was a reminder that we are watching a transcendent goal scorer, the best of his generation, playing the most complete hockey of his life.”