20.73 – Alex Ovechkin’s score- and venue-adjusted five-on-five Corsi differential in last night’s win over the Rangers, the top mark for a Caps skater this season, per Corsica. In other words, with Ovechkin on the ice at five-on-five, and adjusted for in-game context, the Caps had nearly 21 more shot attempts than the Rangers (roughly 33 to 12, a 73% or so Corsi-For percentage).
What makes that performance all the more impressive is that it came on the road and largely against the Rangers’ top line and top defensive pair. Here’s what that looks like:
The Caps’ top trio simply crushed the Rangers’ top-five (and both Nicklas Backstrom and Matt Niskanen had noteworthy individual performances as well, picking up a goal and two assists, respectively, as rewards for their efforts).
After a rough stretch in which his own coach described his game as “a little off,” it’s good to see that type of game from Ovechkin, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.