In a recent matchup, Alex Ovechkin, the prolific hockey player, notched his 884th goal in the NHL career as the Washington Capitals faced the formidable Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite his stellar performance, the Capitals fell short in a 1-3 defeat against the red-hot Lightning on Saturday. With this goal, Ovechkin now stands just 10 goals away from equalling Wayne Gretzky’s legendary record.
Ovechkin showcased his skill and determination by outmaneuvering the Russian goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in the final minutes of the third period, after being thwarted twice earlier in the game. Ryan McDonagh, a defenseman for the Lightning, acknowledged Ovechkin’s prowess, stating, “He’s the best goal-scorer for a reason. You give him one little extra space there, he puts it home.”
This goal marked Ovechkin’s 31st of the season, with 12 of those coming in 22 face-offs against Vasilevskiy. The Russian forward’s remarkable performance has put him on pace to potentially break Gretzky’s record by early April. Victor Hedman, captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, commented on Ovechkin’s consistency, noting, “He’s arguably one of the best goal-scorers of all time, so he gets those chances in the slot, it’s tough to save those.”
Despite Ovechkin’s impressive feat, the Capitals, leading in the Eastern Conference, suffered their first three-game losing streak of the season. Coach Spencer Carbery expressed optimism about Ovechkin’s form and the team’s overall performance, stating, “He’s finishing at a real high rate coming out of the break. I think his play, chemistry, and the whole product of our group will continue to improve.”
With Ovechkin closing in on Gretzky’s record but still a double-digit figure away, Lightning coach Jon Cooper humorously remarked before the game, “If he breaks the record tonight, then we did something wrong.” Although Ovechkin fell short of achieving this milestone in the game, he made significant progress towards etching his name in hockey history.
Reflecting on Ovechkin’s performance, Cooper added, “That’s why he’s got 800-plus of them. He knows what to do when he’s in that spot.”
