Fresh off of Presidents’ Trophy and another playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the start of the 2016-17 season, Capitals coach Barry Trotz decided to try something different with superstar forward Alex Ovechkin: He cut his minutes. The purpose of playing him less was so he would be more ‘fresh’ for the playoffs.
That season, the Capitals finished with another Presidents’ Trophy, with a record of 55-18-8, and a +81 goal differential. Ovechkin scored a ‘paltry’ 33 goals that season, with the reduction in minutes costing him about 17 goals, as he was otherwise scoring 50 a season during those years.