FanHouse Alex Ovechkin

The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets played an overtime thriller on Sunday afternoon, with the Jackets picking up the 5-4 win thanks to R.J. Umberger's game-winner (and second goal of the game) at the 1:45 mark of the extra frame.

Perhaps the biggest concern for Capitals fans isn't the outcome on the scoreboard, but the status of the league's leading scorer and back-to-back MVP winner, Alex Ovechkin, who left the game after playing just 7:43.

After Alex Ovechkin scored his 50th goal last season, he had a rather unique celebration. Even before that happened, Ovechkin's celebrations had drawn the ire of CBC Hockey Night in Canada legend Don Cherry.

Yes, Cherry certainly tends to wear his Canadian heart on his sleeve. However, people generally listen to what he has to say, no matter the potential biases involved. After Ovechkin basically got away with a slew-foot earlier in the week, Cherry was very pointed in his comments on Coach's Corner Saturday night. Video after the jump.

The NHL season has begun, and it sure was an interesting first week. A scoring binge in Washington, stunning defensive start in Denver, and a stumble out of the gates in San Jose. FanHouse national NHL insider Christopher Botta joins us this week, as we break down the lid-lifters around the league. Listen after the jump.

After the first two games of the Washington Capitals' season, Alex Ovechkin is on pace to score approximately 123 goals (hurray for small sample sizes!).

BOSTON -- On the first day in October, more than eight months before the Stanley Cup is rolled out to center ice, the Washington Capitals demonstrated in NHL Game No. 1 in Boston on Thursday night why they may be the Eastern standard.

These Capitals are not just Alexander Ovechkin, but a team constructed with precision from top to bottom.

BOSTON -- The Washington Capitals do not have all the answers for getting around Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Zdeno Chara, so maybe they're trying to kill the 6-9 defenseman with compliments.

"Best defenseman in the league," said head coach Bruce Boudreau after Thursday morning's skate at TD Garden.

"Big, strong, longest stick in the NHL -- one of the best d-men in the game," said tonight's nemesis, Hart Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin.

"Probably the toughest player to go against in the league," said Ovechkin disher Nicklas Backstrom.

We're still a few months away from the 2010 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Vancouver. The NHL is allowing players to take part in the Games for a fourth time, but this may be the last.

The idea of shutting down the NHL season for two weeks does not sit well with some owners, and commissioner Gary Bettman wants to talk with the union about the concept before agreeing to send players to the Olympics in 2014. Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin doesn't seem pleased about the idea of missing the Games in his home country.

FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin are his top two. See who he has as his No. 1 player.

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FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 3 is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby.

We've now reached the top three, which means we've reached the point where things should start to really take off.

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