Ovechkin scores 886th career goal
into an empty net to move 9 back of breaking Gretzky's NHL record
[March 10, 2025]
By STEPHEN WHYNO
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored his 886th career goal into an
empty net Sunday to move nine back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL
record.
Ovechkin backhanded the puck in from center ice with 1:29 left in
the third period to seal the Washington Capitals’ 4-2 victory over
the Seattle Kraken that extended their winning streak to four games.
“He’s still getting a couple of looks here and there, but he’s
finding ways to score,” linemate Dylan Strome said. "It’s what he’s
done his whole career and especially this year. He’s getting to the
right areas. And obviously when the goalie is pulled, we’re all
thinking it. I’m sure everyone else is thinking it, too. It’s still
a pretty skilled play to go backhand through a guy’s leg or stick
and find a way to score that. Nine more.”
It was Ovechkin's league-leading eighth empty-netter of the season
and 65th of his career, which is the most of any player in NHL
history.
Fans chanted, “Ovi! Ovi!” as the red, white and blue goal counter
that was unveiled in one corner of Capital One Arena earlier in the
week flipped from 885 to 886.
“We all know what’s happening and how historic it is,” Strome said.
"It’s incredible. We obviously want to get him on the ice. He does a
great job of finding ways to get open. I know Carbs said it a couple
of weeks ago, but he goes to where the puck is going to be and the
right spots and those are huge goals.”
The 39-year-old’s 33rd goal of the season was also the 1,600th point
of his two-decade career. He is the 11th player reach that mark and
the second active after Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
“What I’ve learned with ‘O’ is you never underestimate — or even
when he’s off a little bit and it doesn’t look great or his line is
struggling or whatever it might be, then it just takes one moment,”
coach Spencer Carbery said. “We win a hockey game and he’s got
another goal, another one down. You just can never underestimate
what he’s capable of doing.”
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Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) gets back on defense
as Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson (6) skates with the puck
during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, March 9,
2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
Ovechkin remains on pace before the end of this
season to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable
before the end of this season.
“We all thought it was an unreachable mark at some point in time,”
said Kraken coach Dan Bylsma, who saw a lot of Ovechkin during his
time with Pittsburgh. "We all put it in the category of, ‘Well,
that’s never going to be reached.’ But Ovechkin has been scoring 50
goals (a season) for an awful long time now. The number is what the
number is, but I think what Alex has done is he’s going to be the
greatest goal scorer of all time. He shows no signs of stopping, so
it’s just a matter of time now that he will ... officially take the
mark as the greatest goal scorer of all time.”
Longtime teammate John Carlson, who set up Connor McMichael's
go-ahead goal with 4:16 left that set the stage for Ovechkin to add
to his total, said the final part of this pursuit is “going to be a
movie," and more specifically a documentary.
Asked about potentially assisting on No. 895, Carlson joked, "I
think that’s up to him, who he wants in the documentary.”
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