Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin was the second all-time league goal scorer with two goals in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
He had joined Gordie Howe with his 801st before taking second place with an empty-net goal late in the game. He had touched the empty net post seconds before when he scored his historic backhand goal without even looking.
He first beat David Rittich with a wrist shot at 18:22 of the first period on an assist from Dylan Strome. Rittich is the 166th goalkeeper to be the victim of a goal from the Tsar. Only Jaromir Jagr (178) and Patrick Marleau (177) have scored against more goaltenders in their careers.
“Sounds good to me,” Ovechkin said into the theater microphone of now being second in goals in NHL history. It’s really good to have achieved it at home in front of the fans, family and friends. It’s a great feeling. ”
“On behalf of Gordie Howe, whom you just passed, and my mother Colleen and the entire Howe family, we just want to congratulate you on this remarkable achievement,” said Mark Howe. It’s been a pleasure to see you progress. ”
Ovechkin now has 802 goals, which puts him 92 behind Wayne Gretzky, who has scored 894 goals in his 1,487 career games. Howe has scored his 801 goals in 1,767 games, while Ovechkin has reached his current tally in 1,310 games.
“One thing at a time,” Ovechkin said, alongside his boys Sergei and Ilya. There is still a long way to go. ”
The 37-year-old Moscow native now has 22 goals and 19 assists in 36 games in 2022-23, his 18th NHL season with the Caps.
Ovechkin hadn’t scored since hitting 800 goals, a four-game drought.
Then he took a few seconds to thank his family in his mother tongue who were watching the game from Russia.
In the locker room, coach Peter Laviolette congratulated him in front of his teammates who gave him a nice round of applause.
Sonny Milano and Nick Dowd had the others in the Capitals win.
Kevin Stenlund filled in for the Jets.
Ovechkin has been the league’s most prolific and consistent scorer since being selected first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft by the Capitals. He scored 52 goals in his rookie season in 2005-06 en route to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy and hit a career-high 65 goals just two seasons later. Ovechkin has won the Maurice Richard Trophy a record nine times, as well as three Hart Memorial Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy in his lone Stanley Cup triumph in 2018.
Ovechkin has nine 50-goal seasons in his career, tied with Mike Bossy and Gretzky.
The only time Ovechkin scored less than 32 goals was when he netted 24 goals in 45 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
It was also the 71st time Ovechkin had scored first in a home game, which ironically allowed him to join Howe in second place. Jaromir Jagr with 76 is the one who dominates in this column.
Ovechkin now has 327 goals after the age of 30, showing that he improves over time like fine wine. Only six players in NHL history have done better. They are Gordie Howe (415), Phil Esposito (391), Johnny Bucyk (374), Teemu Selanne (338), Jean Ratelle (337) and Brett Hull (328).
Ovechkin signed a five-year extension worth $47 million in July 2021 that will keep him in Washington until 2026, which could be enough time for him to rejoin Gretzky.
