On Friday, Alex Ovechkin edged closer to the most elusive record in hockey, tearing up home scoring No. 801 to tie the great Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
Ovechkin’s historic goal came in the first period of Friday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets when he caught a pass from Dylan Strome and beat David Rittich.
Ovechkin is currently 93 goals behind Wayne Gretzky’s all-time mark of 894 and has a legitimate chance of breaking what seemed like an unbreakable record.
The Russian superstar has 21 goals and 39 points on the season, showing no signs of slowing down in his 37-year-old campaign. He joined the 800-goal club earlier this month when he recorded a hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks.
“What he’s done year after year, his consistency and his ability to produce like he always has, it’s pretty remarkable,” said Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, MVP of the NHL who scored 60 goals last season. “Every year he always plays every game like it’s his last. He’s just a horse there. He loves to score goals, and I think that’s been pretty evident throughout his career. You can tell.”
Ovechkin’s teammates don’t take his dominance for granted and relish the opportunity to witness history.
“This story, people (passes), you’re like, holy smoke, you can play with a guy for 13 years that beats these guys in the history books. That’s kind of cool,” said the longtime Capitals defenseman John Carlson. said.
With three years left on his current contract, Ovechkin has no plans to stop anytime soon. Assuming he can stay healthy, he might not even need those three seasons to top The Great One.
With files from The Canadian Press
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