Alex Ovechkin Named First Star Of The Week For Second Consecutive Week
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The NHL gave Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin the first star of the week on Saturday morning. Last week, Ovechkin was also chosen first star of the week. For this week, Alexandar Georgiev was selected the second star, while Elias Pettersson was named the third star.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS’ FIRST STAR – ALEX OVECHKIN, LW
Ovechkin has 2-4—6 in three games to lead the Capitals to a perfect week and past Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list. He began the week by assisting on the Washington goal that ignited a multi-goal comeback in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings on December 19, and he added another pair of assists in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators on December 22.
Ovechkin capped the week by scoring 2-1—3 in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Capital One Arena in Washington, including goal No. 801 with 1:38 remaining in the first period to tie Howe and goal No. 802 into an empty net with 60 seconds remaining in the final frame to surpass “Mr. Hockey” for the second-most goals in NHL history.
Ovechkin (22-19—41 in 36 games), who leads all Capitals players and is seventh in the NHL with 22 goals in 2022-23, is on track for his 10th career 50-goal season and is now 93 goals short of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record.
ALEXANDAR GEORGIEV, G, COLORADO AVALANCHE – SECOND STAR
Georgiev led the NHL in wins (3), all of which required overtime, while saving 82 of the 85 shots he faced to earn a 3-0-0 week (0.94 GAA,.965 SV%, 1 SO) and help the Avalanche (19-11-2, 40 points) climb into third place in the Central Division. He began the week by stopping all 26 shots he faced in a 1-0 shootout win over the New York Islanders on December 19. Georgiev then made 19 stops in a 2-1 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on December 21, followed by 37 saves in a 3-2 overtime win over the Nashville Predators on December 23.
Georgiev, 26, was acquired by Colorado in a trade prior to the 2022-23 season and ranks among the top-10 goaltenders in wins (15; t-5th), goals-against average (2.36; 6th), and save % this season (.925; 6th).
ELIAS PETTERSSON, C, VANCOUVER CANUCKS – THIRD STAR
Pettersson tied for the League lead in assists and points in two games, tallying 2-5—7 to propel the Canucks (15-15-3, 33 points) to a 2-1-0 week. Pettersson missed Vancouver’s 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on December 19 due to sickness. In a 6-5 shootout triumph over the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 22, he returned to the lineup with 2-3—5, including three points in the third period capped by a game-tying goal with 1:20 remaining in regulation. It was Pettersson’s fourth game with five or more points, breaking a tie with Alexander Mogilny (3x) for the most five-point games in franchise history.
He finished the week with two assists in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on December 23. In 2022-23, the 24-year-old forward leads all Canucks skaters with 15-26—41 in 31 games, including a team-high 13 multi-point efforts.