With the Washington Capitals on the brink of another early departure from the Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s worth considering how much of the responsibility should be placed on Alex Ovechkin.
The Capitals captain has one goal and three assists in this second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins and hasn't had more than three shots in any game.
After his team lost Game 4 on Wednesday, Ovechkin said, "I didn't play my game tonight. Me, personally, I have to play much better. I didn't control the puck well. I make stupid decisions. Unfortunately, it happened."
Does Ovechkin come up small when the Capitals need him the most?
He's performing below expectations in this series, but Ovechkin actually has better numbers in the eight series the Capitals have lost during his career compared with the six series they've won.
Ovechkin has 10 shots in this series. If the Capitals are eliminated Saturday, he could finish with the fewest number of shots he has had in a playoff series that ended his season (currently 17, in a 4-0 series loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011).
And don't forget, Ovechkin had 313 shots this season after averaging 393 in the previous three seasons.
