Alex Ovechkin, Russia Eliminated From Olympic Tournament In 3-1 Loss To Finland

In answering countless questions leading up to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin readily admitted that Russia's two-week quest for gold was arguably the most defining moment of his career to date.

Unfortunately, Ovechkin and his countrymen fell painfully short on Wednesday, losing 3-1 to Finland and failing to medal for the third consecutive Winter Olympics. 

The Russians jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period only for the Finns to score three unanswered goals to elimination the host nation. Russia has now been held without a medal in three consecutive Winter Olympics and has not won gold since the Unified Team -- consisting of six of the 15 former Soviet republics -- won in 1992. 

A dejected Ovechkin, who scored one goal in five games, will return to Washington to complete the NHL season, and how much he allows his Olympic disappointment to affect him will surely play a pivotal role in how the Capitals -- currently outside of the Eastern Conference postseason picture -- fare over their final 23 games. 


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