Sports

NHL

Caps rookie's presence felt

Associated Press
Published October 6, 2005

---

WASHINGTON - His first NHL check was so fierce it dislodged a support beam. He refused to let his team lose, twice answering with goals less than 90 seconds after the opponents took the lead. And when his face appeared on the large scoreboard, he stuck out his tongue and flashed a charismatic smile.

"I feel my dreams come true," Alexander Ovechkin said. "I play in the NHL. First game, we win."

The 20-year-old Russian, who has often been compared to a young Mario Lemieux, became the first Washington Capitals player to score twice in his NHL debut, leading a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night in the league's first game at the MCI Center in 550 days.

"He was worth the admission tonight," Columbus coach Gerard Gallant said. "He was real good."

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft wasted no time making his presence known. On his first shift, 40 seconds into the game, he sideswiped Radoslav Suchy into the boards behind the Columbus net with such force that a beam fell to the ice. The game was delayed for a couple of minutes while it was replaced.

"The first check he threw to start the game, I said, "That's my boy. That's what we want,' " said Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who is counting on Ovechkin to help lure fans in a city that had trouble embracing hockey even before the sport's labor troubles began. "We want our star players to work hard and be a part of the team. Every time we got down, he answered, and that's what superstars do."

Dainius Zubrus also scored for the Capitals, and new captain Jeff Halpern had three assists in a game that included 18 penalties and plenty of flow with the new offensive-minded rules. All five goals came in a 10-minute span in the second period.

"With the new rules and the speed of the players and the way that the game was officiated tonight, if that's the way it's going to be, then goodness gracious - it's an exciting game out there," Washington coach Glen Hanlon said.

Dan Fritsche scored both goals for Columbus, twice as many as he had as a rookie before the lockout. Rich Nash, the Blue Jackets' emerging star, aggravated a sprained ankle and did not play in the third period.

Ovechkin's jarring check was the one and only highlight of an extremely dull second period.

[Last modified October 6, 2005, 01:15:08]

[an error occurred while processing this directive]