“Yeah, I think this is our last day that we can spend time with the kids, skate with them. And yeah, because tomorrow it’s game one and everything’s going to be on hockey,” said the captain before the tough session began. And it has been tough like that for the Washington Capitals throughout the season. With almost having a shaky one filled with back-to-back losses and some inconsistent performances. But hey, the Caps have at least punched their ticket to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs despite the pressure that hasn’t remained easy on Alex Ovechkin and his teammates.

Perhaps it’s last year’s painful first-round sweep at the hands of the New York Rangers that now lingers like a bruise for Ovechkin, who has been the brightest star in the league this season. First making it to 895 and breaking the great Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record and now preparing tough for the first-round face-off against the Montreal Canadiens. And let’s say the question looming over the Caps inconsistency and many losses isn’t just about the team’s form but also how the leader has been responding so far. But how is he dealing with the playoff pressure lately?

The Capitals dropped a straight-shooting update on X: Ovechkin met with the media post-practice to talk playoff heat and Game 1 focus. No dramatics. Just business. Then Ovi stepped up with a response that wasn’t fire and fury—but something better: clarity, calm, and captain-level perspective. One that puts the Stanley Cup ahead of his own personal glory! “I don’t think we’re too relaxing. To just spend time with the family, extra day, it’s a good thing. You can’t be focusing too much on the day before a game. Yeah, of course, like I said, we have video, we have all the different things, but you can’t forget if you have an extra hour to spend with the kids on the ice, why not? I think it’s a great thing,” the Captain responded.

And it’s true for Ovechkin, with even the Caps’ alternate captain, Tim Wilson, confirming. “I went to his birthday dinner in September at the beginning of the year; he wasn’t talking about (Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals) record, but he was talking about having a good crack at the Cup and making it to the playoffs and getting the team there,” he said. Now this is the beast mode that the Caps’ leader is acquiring, especially after last season’s first-round sweep by the New York Rangers that left him scoreless and disappointed! Did Alex Ovechkin take it personally? Maybe! Perhaps that is what has made him strong enough and tough enough to break the great Gretzky’s record and lead the team to the playoffs.

It’s the mindset that’s clear and the focus – sharpened to look for one single goal: Stanley Cup 2025! “I’m pretty sure, as soon as the puck drops, everybody gonna be in motivation mode. Beast mode,” Ovechkin made it clear already. Now, with his team preparing to face the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1, the captain keeps his calm and steady, channeling the pressure into purpose. Why? Because he’s aware of the stakes and knows what it takes to win!

Alex Ovechkin isn’t cracking even in pressure

It was like a dream come true for the captain when his team lifted the cup in 2018 after a gap of many years! And for the last one? Well, let’s say he called it a tough year. “Last year, it was kind of a battle to the last game. And obviously, in this year, it was kind of like, we knew we were gonna be in the playoffs,” Alex Ovechkin said after making it to the playoffs. But despite all the slump and inconsistent year, how did the team manage to come so far? Perhaps it’s the captain remaining optimistic throughout the time. And let’s not forget that the Caps were among the earliest teams to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference! And that’s what highlights the team’s effort and consistency over the longer stretch despite many pointing fingers at the internal issues.

And it wasn’t until very recently that Cap’s forward Nic Dowd also added clarity to the situation by dismissing any suggestions that spoke against the locker room. It was Dowd pointing straight to the strong camaraderie and mutual respect among the players and reinforcing that this is a team playing for each other rather than the one cracking under pressure! And now with the captain clearing the air over the unwanted pressure, it just proves how the team is built on resilience and that the success doesn’t count from their recent stats!

Because it’s a moment where he doesn’t talk about his records or his legacy but reflects clearly on what’s coming next for the Capitals. Now that’s exactly what it is to be optimistic and keep the room together, right? It’s the team with a great captain who just achieved a personal greatness and now looks for one for his team too!