Yes, it’s inappropriate that the title above is a take-off of a movie that’s 45 years old, yet it makes the point that today's NHL is a young man’s game. Not for those as young as the up-and-coming in tennis or gymnastics, but the top two point scorers in the league are barely old enough to order an alcoholic beverage when out in public with teammates.

Russians Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin lead the way with 92 and 89 points, respectively, and the 22-year-old Ovechkin is on his way to becoming the first 60-goal scorer since Mario Lemieux netted 69 and Jaromir Jagr tallied 62 for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96.

Among the 26 players who have scored 27 or more goals this season, eight of them are 23 years old or younger. With 54 goals in 68 games, Ovechkin has found the net at least 11 more times than anyone else in the NHL.

Most Goals by Players 23 Years Old or Younger, 2007-08

Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Age. . . . . . . . . . . . Goals
Alexander Ovechkin, Was. . . . . . . .22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Evgeni Malkin, Pit. . . . . . . . . . . . . 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Rick Nash, Cls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Eric Staal, Car. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Dustin Brown, LA. . . . . . . . . . . . . .23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Corey Perry, Anh. . . . . . . . . . . . . .22. . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Anze Kopitar, LA. . . . . . . . . . . . . .20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Zach Parise, NJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

The Los Angeles Kings, who rank last in points in the Western Conference, have to be encouraged by their two young goal scorers. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar lead the Kings in goals, and they are the team’s best hope of returning to the playoffs anytime soon. By then Kopitar will be legal to celebrate the Kings’ first postseason appearance since 2002 with a beer.