Alexander Ovechkin now sits alone for 2nd place on the NHL’s all time goal scoring list.
The Washington Capitals forward scored goals number 801 & 802 Friday night vs. the Winnipeg Jets to move past Gordie Howe on the league’s all time scoring ranks.
Only Wayne Gretzky and his 894 tallies has recorded more goals than the Great 8 in NHL history now. A fact made all the more impressive due to the lockouts, and COVID restrictions that Ovechkin has had to face throughout his career.
Were it not for the sheer number of games lost, not due to injury, but to factors outside of his control, it’s highly likely Ovi would have chased down Gretzky’s mark by now.
“Step by step, guys,” Ovechkin said “Still a long way.”
Following the 37 year old’s empty netter, a video tribute from Mark Howe (Gordie’s son) played in the arena.
“On behalf of Gordie Howe, the guy you just passed, and from [my] mother Colleen and the entire Howe family, we just want to congratulate you on what a fantastic achievement,” Howe remarked. “You’ve been a pleasure to watch.”
Following the game, Ovechkin was moved by the tribute and the reaction the home crowd gave him. A moment made all the more special by having his wife and two sons in attendance as well.
“Very emotional,” Ovechkin said. “Doing it with the home crowd, it’s special. They give me full support, and this is pretty big. It’s a historic moment. It’s nice to be in this category of players. It’s pretty cool.”
The Russian’s 22 goals across 36 games is good for 7th best in the league at the moment. His current 0.61 goals per game rate has him on pace to hit the 50 goal plateau for the 10th time in his career.
If that were to happen, he would finish the season with 830 career goals, and sit 64 shy of Gretzky’s all-time mark. With another 2 seasons likely needed to reach the fabled milestone, that would put Ovi on pace to break the record shortly after his 40th birthday assuming he doesn’t suffer any injuries and maintains a somewhat similar goal scoring pace.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Michael Miller. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.