NHL superstar Aleksandr Ovechkin says he does not object spending less time on the ice if it will help his Washington Capitals achieve better results.
Alex the Great has scored one of the goals in his team’s losing game against the New York Islanders (3-5), playing for just 18 minutes on the night.
His last years on the ice average equaled 23 minutes, which was one of the top results for the league’s forwards.
“Of course everybody wants to play more ice time, but if team needs it I am going to play 16, 18 minutes,” Ovechkin told NHL’s official website. “In playoffs the first two lines don’t make results, it has to be third and fourth lines.”
“Of course, first and second lines have to score, but teams that win Stanley Cups have a third line that helps score goals as well,” he added.
The 26-year-old, who has always been one of the NHL’s top scorers, has got six goals and seven assists this season and currently sits just 22nd in the league’s point-leaders table.