Alex Ovechkin is on the doorstep of history.
As the Capitals legend stares down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record and closes in on No. 895, all eyes are on a career that will go down as one of the best. History isn’t all that’s on Ovechkin’s mind, either.
The Capitals have lingered at the top of the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference for much of the season, igniting hopes that Ovechkin can power Washington to a deep playoff run. While he’s had his share of letdowns in the playoffs, he does have one memorable run under his belt.
Here’s a look back at Ovechkin’s playoff history, including the run that elevated him into a new tier of hockey greats.
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Did Alex Ovechkin win a Stanley Cup?
Ovechkin won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, leading Washington to a Stanley Cup Final victory over the expansion Golden Knights in five games.
The Capitals defeated the Blue Jackets in six games to open the playoffs, setting up a showdown with rival Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in the East semifinals. Despite struggles getting over the hump against Pittsburgh in earlier years, Ovechkin and the Capitals got the better of Crosby’s Penguins in six games.
Washington took an early 2-0 series lead over the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final, only to lose three consecutive games and face elimination for the first time in the playoffs. The Capitals responded, notching shutout wins at home and in Tampa Bay to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
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After the Golden Knights won Game 1 to add to a historic inaugural season, the Capitals silenced Vegas, winning four in a row to capture the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Ovechkin led the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs with 15 goals, totaling 27 points in 24 games. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy, scoring multiple goals in each series and putting his underwhelming playoff reputation behind him.
Once he did, he let loose. Ovechkin went on an all-time celebration bender with his teammates, drinking beer out of the Stanley Cup and swimming through a Georgetown fountain shirtless.
Oh my god Alex Ovechkin was doing keg stands out of the Stanley Cup in the middle of Georgetown after throwing out the first pitch at a Nationals game and then ended up swimming half-naked in a fountain and I never thought i’d say this but this was all worth the 44-year wait 😂 pic.twitter.com/WZ5Bfh2aEM
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 10, 2018
Ovechkin’s celebration when he breaks the all-time goal record might not be quite as wild — being seven years older certainly doesn’t help — but it should be plenty of fun.
How many Stanley Cups did Alex Ovechkin win?
Ovechkin’s 2018 run marks the only Stanley Cup of his time in the NHL. Despite plenty of regular season success for the Capitals throughout his career, he hasn’t played in another Stanley Cup Final.
In fact, Ovechkin has only reached the Eastern Conference Final once. The Capitals have suffered eight first-round defeats and six conference semifinals defeats in his career. As such, 2018 might look like an anomaly, but it was the culmination of years of frustration for the Capitals and their star.
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Alex Ovechkin playoff history
| Season | Result | Playoff goals | Playoff points |
| 2007-08 | Lost in first round | 4 | 9 |
| 2008-09 | Lost in East semifinals | 11 | 21 |
| 2009-10 | Lost in first round | 5 | 10 |
| 2010-11 | Lost in East semifinals | 5 | 10 |
| 2011-12 | Lost in East semifinals | 5 | 9 |
| 2012-13 | Lost in first round | 1 | 2 |
| 2014-15 | Lost in East semifinals | 5 | 9 |
| 2015-16 | Lost in East semifinals | 5 | 12 |
| 2016-17 | Lost in East semifinals | 5 | 8 |
| 2017-18 | Won Stanley Cup Final | 15 | 27 |
| 2018-19 | Lost in first round | 4 | 9 |
| 2019-20 | Lost in qualifying round | 4 | 5 |
| 2020-21 | Lost in first round | 2 | 4 |
| 2021-22 | Lost in first round | 1 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | Lost in first round | 0 | 0 |
Ovechkin’s Stanley Cup championship helped put a track record of playoff disappointment for the Capitals in the rear-view mirror, but despite 72 career playoff goals, winning in the spring has been a struggle for the legend.
The Capitals have one conference final appearance in the Ovechkin era, and it didn’t come until his 13th NHL season. Even in the aftermath of the 2018 run, Washington hasn’t won a single playoff series. In six seasons since winning the Stanley Cup, the Capitals have suffered four first-round exits, one qualifying-round exit in the COVID-19 bubble, and missed the playoffs entirely in 2022-23.
There are signs this season might be different. Washington has spent much of the season on top of the East after a surprise late-season playoff push a year ago, and the stellar play of goaltender Logan Thompson along with Ovechkin’s resurgence as a goal-scoring machine have turned the Capitals into a legitimate contender.
Even if another championship doesn’t come to fruition, hockey fans could get a long look at Ovechkin when the puck drops on the playoffs this spring.
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