Alex Ovechkin, the star of the Washington Capitals, is closing in on breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record, needing just three more goals to achieve this milestone. While Ovechkin has scored a significant number of empty-net goals this season, including an NHL-record 65 in his career, it’s not just these goals that have brought him close to surpassing Gretzky. Although Ovechkin leads in this category, Gretzky had 56 empty-net goals in his career and currently holds the second spot on the all-time list, just behind Ovechkin.
Coach Spencer Carbery has strategically used Ovechkin when the opposing team pulls their goalie for an extra skater, leveraging his offensive skills in these critical moments. Ovechkin excels at reading the game and anticipating where the puck will go, contributing to his success in scoring goals. While Ovechkin dominates in overtime and power-play goals, Gretzky shines in short-handed and even-strength goals.
In comparing Ovechkin and Gretzky’s goal-scoring prowess, Ovechkin has demonstrated his proficiency in scoring empty-net goals, constituting 7.3% of his 892 career goals. Former Capitals coach Peter Laviolette also utilized Ovechkin in these situations, resulting in numerous successful empty-net goals. Ovechkin’s knack for scoring in clutch moments was evident when he completed a hat trick with an empty-netter against the Edmonton Oilers.
On the other hand, Gretzky, known for his exceptional goal-scoring abilities, achieved 56 empty-net goals, representing 6.3% of his total 894 career goals. One of Gretzky’s standout performances was when he scored into an empty net during a five-goal game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Ovechkin’s dominance extends to overtime and power-play goals, holding records in both categories. With 27 regular-season overtime goals, Ovechkin surpasses Gretzky, who had only two overtime goals in his career. Additionally, Ovechkin’s impressive tally of 323 power-play goals sets him apart from Gretzky, who had 204 power-play goals during his career.
The competition between Ovechkin and Gretzky showcases the remarkable goal-scoring talents of these hockey legends, as they continue to leave a lasting impact on the sport.
Ovechkin’s positioning in the office behind the net makes him more of a playmaker on the power play, where he holds the NHL record of 686 assists with the man advantage. In contrast, Ovechkin has 276 assists. When comparing Ovechkin to Gretzky in terms of short-handed goals, Gretzky leads 73-5 as Ovechkin does not typically play on the penalty kill. Ovechkin scored three short-handed goals as a rookie and only two since, logging just 80 seconds of short-handed time this season.
In terms of even-strength goals, Gretzky holds the record with 617 while Ovechkin ranks third with 564, closely trailing Howe at 566. Gretzky played for 20 seasons, the same as Ovechkin who is currently in his 20th season but has played two fewer games. Ovechkin has generally maintained good health, except for missing 16 games this season. However, Ovechkin’s entry into the league was delayed by a season-long lockout in 2004-05, in addition to a shorter lockout and two COVID-shortened seasons.
Notably, Gretzky was limited to 45 games in 1992-93 due to injury and to 48 games in 1994-95 due to a lockout.
