The Remarkable Consistency of Alexander Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin has now played 245 games in the NHL (through the 2007-2008 season). Looking at his ten-game segments, what is striking is his remarkable scoring consistency. The breakdown, from his first ten-game segment to his most recent:

1. 6-5-11
2. 9-1-10
3. 3-10-13
4. 7-8-15
5. 9-7-16
6. 8-6-14
7. 6-7-13
8. 4-9-13
9. 6-5-11
10. 6-6-12
11. 6-7-13
12. 7-8-15
13. 5-11-16
14. 4-2-6
15. 5-4-9
16. 4-4-8
17. 7-2-9
18. 7-6-13
19: 9-4-13
20: 5-5-10
21: 11-6-17
22: 11-6-17
23: 5-9-14
24: 9-8-17
25: 4-1-5 (five games)

245 games -- 163 goals, 147 assists, 310 points . . . Through 130 games, he was a metronome -- 13 points every ten games, like clockwork. There was a 40-game spell during which he "slumped" a bit (20-12-32). But in his last seven full ten-game segments, he has never been below 10 points.

Oh, and Alex was named a first-team all-star on June 14th, 2007. He was the first player be named so in his first two seasons in more than a half a century. The last? Red Wings goaltender Terry Sawchuk in 1950-51 and 1951-52. Not bad company.

updated: May 17, 2008