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- Alex Ovechkin proved he’s still one of the most formidable players in the NHL at the age of 36
- Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner had to replace his mask after the star forward dented the cage with a rocket of a slapshot
- Read more NHL news here
It’s been over 15 years since Alex Ovechkin made his NHL debut after the Washington Capitals selected him with the first pick in the 2004 draft, and it did not take long for the highly-touted Russian prospect to live up to the lofty expectations that were placed on him prior to arriving at the biggest stage in hockey.
Ovechkin has already punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame over the course of a career where he’s cemented himself as an all-time legend while shattering records and racking up basically every accolade an NHL player can dream of. While he may be getting up there in age, the 36-year-old has barely lost a step and remains one of the most potent offensive forces in the league.
A few years ago, Ovi took home the trophy at the Hardest Shot competition by firing a 101.3 MPH clapper from the slot, and on Monday night, the sniper reminded the world just how much of a punch he packs at the expense of Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner.
Toward the middle of the second period, Ovechkin had a chance to add to the all-time power-play goals record he set earlier this season when he fired a slapshot from his office near the left faceoff circle. Lehner was able to prevent the one-timer from going in, but it came at a cost, as he was forced to switch his mask thanks to the massive dent that formed on the cage after the puck hit it.
Ovechkin broke Lehner's mask with this shot 😱 pic.twitter.com/159mnaJFEP
— hockey w/o spectators (@HWOSpectators) January 25, 2022
You can see one of the bars on the left side of Robin Lehner's mask dented from Alex Ovechkin's shot. #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/MRhFyElbCf
— David Schoen 🗞 (@DavidSchoenLVRJ) January 25, 2022
Unreal.
That stop helped save the shutout Lehner was able to preserve until the end of Las Vegas’ 1-0 victory—which is especially impressive when you take his postgame comments into consideration.
Robin Lehner had to change masks after Alex Ovechkin's shot broke it
"It was a really hard shot to take in the head. He broke my cage. It was a little scary. You felt the cage kind of bent in to the cheekbone a little bit. I was lucky it wasn't a little bit harder."
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) January 25, 2022
At least it all worked out in the end.