Alex Ovechkin’s long road to the Stanley Cup
"The Great 8" finally hoisted the Stanley Cup Thursday night, and it was a long, frustrating road to get there.
Thursday night was a long time coming for Alex Ovechkin.
With over 600 goals and 1,100 points, the Russian-born winger has put together a long list of individual awards and milestones in his 13 seasons so far. But hockey's ultimate prize was always the one that eluded him.
Not anymore.
Washington defeated the first-year Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, in Game 5 to win its captain's and the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
"It's just unbelievable," Ovechkin, who scored 15 playoff goals to win the Conn Smythe, told NBC's Pierre McGuire postgame.
One of the NHL's generational talents finally hoisted the Cup after a long, and often frustrating journey to get there.
Here's a look back at "The Great 8's" career by the numbers, and every bump in the road along the way…
Ovechkin’s Career
*Capitals won the Presidents' Trophy that year for the best regular season record.
Ovechkin’s Individual Accolades
Source: Hockey-Reference.com