New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin was recognized Monday as the NHL's top performer for the week ending Dec. 15.
Ovechkin led the league with five goals, four of which came in a 6-5 shootout win over Tampa Bay on Dec. 10. It was his third career four-goal game.
The 28-year-old Moscow native leads the NHL with 27 goals in 31 games this season and has the Capitals sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Martin Jones was named the Second Star after going 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average, .972 save percentage, and one shutout.
Jones, 23, is 5-0-0 with a 0.99 GAA and two shutouts in his first five NHL games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first netminder in NHL history to allow an average of less than one goal per game while winning each of his first five career appearances.
Nashville Predators netminder Carter Hutton also went 3-0-0 last week and earned Third Star honors for helping the Preds to their second three-game winning streak of the season.
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