Kevin Allen

USA TODAY Sports

New Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz was glad to discover that the reality of coaching Alex Ovechkin is far more enjoyable than he was led to believe.

"For all of the questions I took when I got this job, right through the summer and training camp, I have to be honest and say I wasn't too sure what was going to happen," Trotz said. "But he has been very coachable, and he's been excellent as a captain and a person."

Trotz made it clear that he didn't want to overhaul Ovechkin's game, merely tweak it for the betterment of both the winger and the Capitals.

"I just told him I can't teach him in what he does," Trotz said. "He's fantastic at it. But what I can teach him is how to get the puck back better and how help his teammates get the puck back."

In the first three games, Ovechkin has averaged 21 minutes, 27 seconds per game and scored four times. He had an even plus-minus, a good start given that Ovechkin was minus-35 last season. Trotz lauded Ovechkin's work ethic and defensive-zone coverage.

"I have zero issues with him," Trotz said. "He's been very open-minded about learning. He wants to get better."

Ovechkin led the Capitals with nine hits in two games.

"He's skating really well and he's fun to watch," said Trotz, who never had an offensive force like Ovechkin when he coached 15 seasons with the Nashville Predators.

The Capitals' team defense shortcomings have held them back for years, and Trotz has long had a reputation of knowing how to improve a team's defensive compete level.

As a rule, players enjoy playing for Trotz because he is a strong communicator. Clearly, the hope in Washington is Trotz is the coach who could refine Ovechkin's game to give his team a better chance of postseason success. Now in his 10th season, Ovechkin has never been able to carry the Capitals deep into the playoffs.

"He's hanging on to pucks and defensively he's getting out to the point and controlling his responsibility," Trotz said. "He's been really good."

With Ovechkin and the Capitals buying into Trotz's teachings, they gained four out of six points in their first three games. It's almost as if people in the hockey world were describing a different guy when they told the newly hired Trotz about Ovechkin this summer.

"All of the things that were said about him have been the exact opposite," Trotz said.