Ovechkin Switching Between Stick Models As He Hits 30-Goal Mark

WASHINGTON — Washington Captials captain Alex Ovechkin is very particular about his sticks, and on Saturday, he was using a different model as he scored another historic goal against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ovechkin has been changing between his signature CCM Ribcor Trigger ASY and the CCM JetSpeed FT5 Pro throughout the season, and on Saturday, he went back to using the JetSpeed after having switched back to the Trigger back on Dec. 31, when he had a hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens.

With the FT5 Pro, the 37-year-old scored his 30th of the season on a nice backhander that came off his own rebound. The goal tied him for with Mike Gartner most 30-goal seasons of all time (17) and also marked his 400th career goal at home.

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There aren't too many differences between the models, as both have the same 100 flex and his custom lie and curve, but they still are different sticks. The Trigger is famous for its low kick point, while the JetSpeed does features a hybrid kick point.

The kick point refers to where the stick flexes the most and where the power comes from and is released through the shaft of the stick. A low kick point helps shooters get the puck off as fast as possible, but it sacrifices power for a quicker release. A hybrid kick point offers the best of both worlds, and helps conserve power while allowing the shooter a quick release.

Ovechkin is currently on pace for 54 goals this season, which would give him the most 50-goal seasons in NHL history. The star winger is currently at 810 career goals and just 85 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time record. It's unclear if the JetSpeed will be the twig he ends up sticking with, as he's switched quite a bit between the two but seems to always come back to the Trigger ASY. David Perron is the only player still in the league using the Trigger ASY, per GearGeek.com.