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Every week, across several sports, players around the DMV shine in individual performance. Every Monday, I’d like to take a minute to highlight some of those performances, including what I view as the best performance and name that athlete the “DMV Star of the Week.”
This week’s DMV Star of the Week is Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin.
The legendary Capitals star scored five points this week, including a record-breaking performance against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
In the 7-3 victory in Chicago, Ovechkin scored 3 goals to reach 800 career goals. He is just the third player in NHL history to reach the mark, after Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801).
“Soon as it happened, kind of relief…kind of happiness in general,” Ovechkin said following the win. “It’s a big number. It’s the best company [you can] ever imagine since you started playing hockey.”
The mark that eludes Ovechkin for now is the all-time record in career goals. He needs 95 to pass Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894, a number that was once believed to be unreachable.
Ovechkin is currently in year two of a five year contract worth $47.5 million. If he stays on his current goal-per-season pace or even dips below it, he’ll have a good chance to surpass the NHL legend Gretzky by the time he hangs it up for good.
“I think once he’s going to be number one, he can have a sense of relief,” Capitals teammate Anthony Mantha said. “Until then, I think he’s on the hunt, and that’s what we love about him.”
In the current state of DMV Sports, and as the coming years go by, it’s worth remembering that we are witnessing history every night Ovechkin plays.
A living legend on his way to likely capturing one of the most elusive records in all of sports. Enjoy it while it lasts.
The DMV saw eight teams in action this past week, including the Washington Commanders, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, and the Georgetown, George Washington, Maryland, American and Howard basketball teams.
Here are some honorable mention performances for DMV Star of the Week:
Commanders rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson caught four passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, including this incredible 60 yard catch in the 4th quarter, in a disappointing 20-12 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday
Capitals defenseman Erik Gustafsson scored 3 goals in Saturday’s dominant 5-2 win over Toronto
Howard basketball forward William Settle recorded a double-double in Tuesday’s 71-59 win over FIU, scoring 14 points and adding 12 rebounds
George Washington guard and former DMV Star of the Week James Bishop scored 30 points in GW’s 83-71 win over Coppin State on Tuesday
Here’s what’s coming up this week in DMV Sports:
Washington Commanders: (7-6-1, 4th in NFC East)
12/24 @ San Francisco
Washington Capitals: (16-13-4, 6th in Metropolitan Division)
12/19 vs. Detroit
12/22 @ Ottawa
12/23 vs. Winnipeg
Washington Wizards: (11-20, 12th in Eastern Conference)
12/20 @ Phoenix
12/22 @ Utah
12/23 @ Sacramento
Georgetown Basketball: (5-7 overall, 0-1 in Big East)
12/20 @ #3 UConn
Maryland Basketball: (8-3 overall, 1-1 in Big 10)
12/22 vs. Saint Peters
Howard Basketball: (6-8 overall, 0-0 in MEAC)
12/21 vs. Mt. Saint Mary’s
American University Basketball: (8-2 overall, 0-0 in Patriot League)
12/22 vs. Siena
George Washington Basketball: (6-4 overall, 0-0 in Atlantic 10)
12/23 vs. Washington State (Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic)
12/24 vs. Pepperdine OR Hawaii (Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic)
12/25 vs. TBD (Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic)