updated 9:57 p.m. ET Oct. 3, 2006

SPRINGFIELD, Va. - Alex Ovechkin grabbed a golf club for the first time in his life at the Washington Capitals’ preseason charity tournament. After a few minutes of instruction, he began hitting. Well, shanking, really.

Plop, into the water. Thwack, off the cart path. Then Ovechkin asked for “a bigger club.” His very next shot settled on the green. A few hours — and dozens of balls, all aimed at the same flag stick — later, Ovechkin aced the 160-yard, par-3 hole. That’s right: He made a hole-in-one on Day 1 as a golfer.

Ovechkin loves to learn, and he sure is a quick study, whether it’s swinging a golf club, picking up English or excelling in the NHL.

“We have this world-class, once-in-a-generation player whose personality is becoming the personality of the team,” Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said, “which is: ‘I can try anything. I can do anything.”’

Sure seems that way.

Having outpolled the more-ballyhooed Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins for top rookie honors, Ovechkin quickly established himself as a superstar, a left wing gifted with speed and strength, with deft moves and a love of the game, someone the Capitals are building around and banking on.

“I’ll try to do things like I did last year, play like I played last year — hard. Hit. Score goals. Pass. And be a good teammate,” Ovechkin said, twirling a golf club in his hands during an interview with The Associated Press. “I don’t think about whether it will be tougher or easier.”

All eyes will be on Ovechkin in Year II of his career and of hockey’s post-lockout era. The NHL season opens Wednesday with three games; the Capitals play their first game Thursday at the New York Rangers.

“Your second year is always your toughest year. You go in the first year with no expectations, and what he did last year was phenomenal. He set the bar pretty high,” veteran goalie Olie Kolzig said. “It’s going to be tough no matter how good a season he has to accomplish what he did last year. We’ve been telling him: Don’t feel you have to put this organization on your shoulders.”

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Right. And moments later, Capitals coach Glen Hanlon goes and places Ovechkin’s name and Wayne Gretzky’s in the same sentence.

Still, Ovechkin certainly doesn’t seem to feel one ounce of pressure. If anything, he’s adding to the expectations by speaking about reaching the postseason, heady talk when one considers Washington finished 27th out of 30 teams in 2005-06.

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After the home finale of his rookie year, the Russian stood in the locker room surrounded by reporters, with Leonsis a few feet away, and proclaimed: “I think next season we’ll go to the playoffs.”

Asked Monday whether he still feels that way, Ovechkin responded: “For sure. ... I feel we have a great chance for the playoffs.”

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