Bruce Bennett/Getty Images Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and teammates acknowledge the crowd after losing to the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference second round. If this is the end of Alex Ovechkin’s Stanley Cup-chasing era, then it ended in almost-fitting fashion. Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record captivated the hockey world and transcended the sport. Yet, Ovechkin’s pursuit of a second Stanley Cup championship ended in an almost-