Capitals Center Filling Alex Ovechkin Void

A Washington Capitals center is stepping up to fill the offensive void without their top scorer.

Nov 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome (17) and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) battle for the puck in the third period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

A fractured fibula derailed the Washington Capitals, knocking captain Alex Ovechkin out of the lineup for four to six weeks. Their 39-year-old winger was tearing up the NHL through his first 18 games, recording 15 goals and adding 10 more assists. The start put him just 26 goals shy of the all-time goal scoring record.

Without their best player, the Capitals needed someone to step up. That is exactly what center Dylan Strome has done over the past few weeks. He began the season centering Ovechkin, and the two were forming a dynamic duo in the Nation's Capital. Without Ovi in the lineup, it was questionable whether Strome would sustain his offensive production.

He's answered that question and then some in the games since. Through the first 24 games, he has eight goals and a whopping 26 assists for 34 total points. Over the six games the team's played without their captain, Strome has two goals and four assists to keep his point-per-game pace going. As a result, the team has won four in a row after losing the first two games without Ovi.

His production has not only filled the void of Ovi's absence, it's put him near the top of the NHL scoring race this season. His 34 points are just two behind Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild for first in the league.

When Ovechkin returns in a few weeks, the Capitals are likely to be at the top of the Metropolitan Division. It will be a far cry from where the majority of the hockey world predicted the Caps to be this season, and it's even less likely without Ovi in the lineup to help them get there. Thankfully for Washington, Strome is having the best season of his career and he's filling any offensive void the team needs in the meantime.

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