Joe Beninati joins BMitch & Finlay to break down Ovi's hat trick and Chase for 895
A big-time weekend in Vegas for the Capitals, as they beat the Golden Knights 5-2 on the back of a hat trick from Alex Ovechkin, the 31st hatty of his career and a trio of goals that puts him at 866 career goals, 29 away from breaking the record.
And it's been a blast for TV PxP voice Joe Beninati to be a part of, in some small way.
"This is incredible. I'm starting to get that feeling again," Beninati told BMitch & Finlay. "They're 12-4-1, playing well at home and on the road, and they're scoring goals at an incredible clip. They're leading the league in five-on-five goals and goals per game. Spencer Carbery might be the coach of the year, and deservedly so; he had a plan last year that he wanted to play a certain scheme, and they didn't have the horses to do it, but he guided them beautifully into the playoffs, and they brought in players that have worked out extremely well. From what I see and hear, everyone is talking about Spencer."
Ovechkin had a really rough start to last season as that transition happened, so much so that many wondered if he was done, but he had 22 goals in his last 35 games, and now has an NHL-high 13 in 17 games this year – that's a 63-goal pace extrapolated out, and with only 29 left to break the record, you can do the math there even if he slows down a little (or a lot).
"You don't do this at 39, you just don't! Every day, all of us on the trip wonder what we're witnessing," Beninati said. "Gretzky retired in 1999 at age 38, and his last two or three seasons, his assist totals were up there, but his goal totals were low to mid-twenties. Ovi is on a 60-plus goal pace, and that's not gonna continue, but just enjoy the ride while you're watching it! I just hope that fans don't get jaded to this; he's done this for 20 seasons, but this is not your everyday player, this is a once in a generation player who's attempting to break one of the greatest records in NHL history, and he's doing so right now at a clip where he feels like he might get it by Christmas!"
Someone in his situation might be pressing to get to that record, or be breaking down and getting ready to ride off into the sunset, but if Ovi's doing it, Beninati isn't seeing it.
"It's love of the game. It's just joy for him, and he's played so many games in so many situations and racked up so many goals and records along the way, but he still plays the game with the joy and the zeal of a young man," Beninati said. "It's his happy place, and when he's in a good place and when he's healthy and feeling good, he's been blessed with incredible talents. That shot is never gonna go away; it's like watching Steph Curry shoot threes, it takes your breath away. If he can stay healthy, avoid the bumps and bruises that add up and slow down someone approaching 40, his natural skill set and his joy and love for the game carries him. This is what he loves to do."
So, apparently, no better time to get his latest hat trick than Sunday night in Vegas, on the same ice he hoisted the Stanley Cup years ago.
"Really interesting, because the team had never won a regular season game in Vegas; they won two Stanley Cup Final games, which were very, very important, but they were 0-for-6 in the regular season before yesterday, and honestly, the games weren't close," Beninati said. "But this was, I thought, another great sign of the way this team is performing, and for Alex to close the game out with the empty-netter, just to see the fan reaction, it was pretty cool to watch them all leave as soon as the puck hit the back of the net. Alex just has an ability in big games to produce at very high levels."
