Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal Sunday to break Wayne Gretzky‘s record for most goals in NHL history that was once considered untouchable.
He scored the record goal on a power play, the 325th power-play goal of his career, in the second period on the road against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin let out a roar, slid on the ice and was mobbed by teammates. Gretzky and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman came out onto the ice on Sunday for a ceremony after the record goal.
The connections to history on Sunday were many.
Gretzky scored his 894th and final NHL goal against the Islanders in March 1999. Ovechkin scored the record breaker in his 1,487th game, the same number that Gretzky played in his Hall of Fame career. Ovechkin did it on the 21st anniversary of the 2004 draft lottery, when the Capitals moved up two spots to No. 1 overall and won the right to draft Ovechkin. And he did it on the same day that Gordie Howe scored his 801st goal in 1980, a record that stood until Gretzky passed it in 1994.
The Islanders skated away 4-1 winners, preventing the Capitals from clinching the Metropolitan Division title. But that will happen soon, and Sunday was all about Ovechkin’s achievement.
Here are highlights from Sunday’s Washington Capitals–New York Islanders game:
Alex Ovechkin said he would need time to absorb the milestone goal and what it means.
“I’m probably going to need a couple more days, a couple more weeks to realize what it means to be No. 1,” he told reporters after the game, “but I’m proud for myself, I’m proud for my family and for all my teammates that helped me reach that milestone and for all my coaches. It’s huge.”
He said he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to answer any more questions about when he would he would break the record.
He said his slide on the ice wasn’t planned.
“The ice was bad today so I fell,” he said. “I’m pretty sure it’s a pretty cool moment.”
TNT cameras showed Alex Ovechkin, Wayne Gretzky and Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin posing with the puck in the hallway. Ovechkin said Sorokin gave him his stick.
“I told him right away I need that stick,” Ovechkin said in his news conference.
Did Sorokin get anything back?
“He didn’t ask me,” Ovechkin said.
The NHL posted video on Monday of the exchange and showed that Ovechkin signed some pucks that Sorokin had brought to him from the Islanders. Sorokin said he would give Ovechkin his glove after the season.
Ovechkin had never scored on Sorokin before this game, and the fellow Russian was the record 183rd different NHL goalie that the Capitals star had scored on.
Alex Ovechkin’s teammates were wearing red 895 T-shirts once the captain arrived, and they gave him a beer shower. Ovechkin gave a speech and posed with the record puck and with current and former teammates, Wayne Gretzky and Gary Bettman.
Alex Ovechkin is named the first star of the game and he gets to take a lap around the ice and hear the cheers of fans acknowledging his achievement.
Alex Ovechkin finishes the game with the record goal and five shots in 16:10 of ice time.
Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s record in the same number of games that Gretzky played. The Islanders get the win.
Ilya Sorokin makes a save on Dylan Strome and freezes the puck before Alex Ovechkin can get to it.
TNT has been airing clip of star athletes offering Alex Ovechkin congratulations, including LeBron James, Simone Biles, Roger Federer, Sidney Crosby and Martin Brodeur. Brodeur noted that Ovechkin “shot the puck too hard.”
Jean-Gabriel Pageau is awarded a goal after a long review that showed the puck crossed the line. Islanders 4, Capitals 1
Alex Ovechkin is open in the left faceoff and gets off a good shot, but Ilya Sorokin makes a glove save.
If the Capitals come back and win, they clinch the Metropolitan Division title.
Alex Ovechkin told TNT between periods that the title of all-time leading goal scorer “sounds great. What a moment for hockey. What a moment for my family, myself, this organization, my teammates. Obviously, it’s great.”
Alex Ovechkin has one goal – the record-setting one – and four shots in 11 minutes of ice time through two periods.
Everyone got what they wanted – Alex Ovechkin’s 895th career goal. But there’s also a game to be played and Marc Gatcomb gives the Islanders a 3-1 lead.
That’s the first two-goal game for the 25-year-old and eighth goal of his career.
Of course, there’s still a game to be played. Ovechkin’s goal had cut the Capitals’ deficit to 2-1
Wayne Gretzky, commissioner Gary Bettman and Alex Ovechkin’s family are on the ice for a ceremony. Gretzky says, “They say records are made to be broken, but I don’t know who’s going to get more than that.” Ovechkin thanks teammates, trainers, fans and even thanks fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin for letting him score.
He rips a power-play shot past Ilya Sorokin for his 895th career goal. Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome pick up the assists. Ovechkin flops on the ice in celebration and lets out a roar. Teammates mob him on the ice.
Pierre Engvall is called for tripping The “Ovi” chants start in anticipation. Alex Ovechkin has 324 power-play goals, after all.
Alex Ovechkin gets his first shift about 2:30 in. Ilya Sorokin makes a blocker save on Ovechkin’s shot.
2-0 Islanders. Alex Ovechkin’s line is on the bench to start the period.
Alex Ovechkin has one shot and had two other shot attempts blocked. He played 4:29 in the first period.
The Islanders are seven points out of a playoff spot and are the more desperate team. They have the lead, though the Capitals have outshot them 8-5.
He swings his stick and knocks the puck from Ryan Pulock, but it goes off the defenseman’s skate.
Four shifts, one shot, 2:43 of ice time.
The Islanders need this game. Their fourth line connects on a Marc Gatcomb goal after a Kyle MacLean centering pass. Islanders then go on a power play, but it’s killed off. Islanders 2, Capitals 0
Defenseman Ryan Pulock blocks an Alex Ovechkin shot.
Bo Horvat scores after the Islanders cycle the puck in the zone. Islanders 1, Capitals 0
Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin stops an Alex Ovechkin deflection of a Rasmus Sandin shot. Ovechkin has never scored on Sorokin in three previous games.
Alex Ovechkin starting with Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson.
He’s week to week with a lower body injury after being hurt in Friday’s game.
The Washington Capitals play the New York Islanders at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
The Capitals vs. Islanders game is being aired on TNT and truTV.
Max and Sling carry TNT games.
After Sunday’s game
Games: Gretzky 1,487 | Ovechkin 1,487
Goals: Gretzky 894 | Ovechkin 895
Assists: Gretzky 1,963 | Ovechkin 724
Points: Gretzky 2,857 | Ovechkin 1,619
Islanders coach Patrick Roy, a Hall of Fame goalie, gave up five Wayne Gretzky goals during his career.
Hall of Famer Gordie Howe scored his 801st and final NHL goal on April 6, 1980. That record stood until Wayne Gretzky passed Howe in 1994.
Alex Ovechkin passed three top 10 players on the all-time goal list by scoring against the Islanders: Mario Lemieux for 10th place on Jan. 18, 2020; Phil Esposito for sixth on March 16, 2021, and Jaromir Jagr for third on March 15, 2022. All of the goals were scored against Semyon Varlamov, who’s out with an injury.
In addition to goal No. 894 on March 29, 1999, Wayne Gretzky scored his 300th (Dec. 13, 1983) and 700th (Jan. 3, 1991) career goals in games against the Islanders.
Ovechkin has 44 goals in 71 career regular-season games against the Islanders. He missed the teams’ earlier meeting because of injury. He has never scored on No. 1 goalie Ilya Sorokin.
Dominik Hasek, a Hall of Fame goalie, Czech native and critic of the war in Ukraine, used Alex Ovechkin’s pending record to criticize the Russian-born star and the league. He said in a lengthy social media post Saturday, after Ovechkin tied the record, that the Capitals star hasn’t made an official condemnation of the Russian invasion and the league has enabled him. Ovechkin did say in 2022 after the war began: “It’s a hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine, and it’s hard to see the war. I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world.” Hasek has previously called for the NHL to ban Russian players because of the war.
TNT Sports is producing an alternative telecast – The OviCast – featuring an isolated camera on Ovechkin for the duration of Sunday’s game. It will air on truTV and Max. The OviCast will display Ovechkin’s live stats, his historical numbers and on-ice audio from the NHL on TNT broadcast.
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