He did it. He actually did it. Alex Ovechkin, the best participant in Washington Capitals historical past, simply grew to become the Nationwide Hockey League’s all-time main objective scorer with 895 targets, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s profession complete of 894 targets to interrupt a document that was lengthy regarded as utterly unbreakable.
Eight hundred and ninety-five targets. That’s a freaking lot!
Ovechkin’s record-setting objective got here on an influence play in the course of the second interval of Sunday afternoon’s sport towards the New York Islanders. With Gretzky in attendance, play stopped so gamers and followers may have fun the second.
Ovechkin’s historic objective got here within the 1,487th sport of his profession, the identical as Gretzky’s profession sport complete.
In a manner, the historic objective was a aid. Just a few seasons in the past, Ovechkin’s probability of passing Gretzky appeared doable however distant, attainable however hardly assured. He was nonetheless a formidable and constant scorer, but in addition getting older, grayer, transferring deeper into his 30s, the purpose in an athlete’s profession the place a single unhealthy harm—or simply the cumulative results of damage and tear and advancing age—can push the wheels into out of the blue falling off.
Solely Ovi stored scoring. And scoring. And scoring. Brief-side lasers from his workplace, the pictures you’ve actually seen lots of of occasions. Because the now-39-year-old bought nearer and nearer to the document this winter and spring, the burden on his shoulders mounted—and on ours, too. We did the maths day-after-day, calculating his per sport common, checking what number of video games the Caps had left, questioning and worrying if this second must wait till subsequent season.
However now? No extra strain, no extra worries. We will merely take into consideration the playoffs.
Additionally: we are able to bask. Let’s replicate for a minute! In spite of everything, Ovechkin isn’t only a hockey participant. Not right here. He’s been the rock of DC’s sports activities scene for practically 20 years, a relentless presence and star over a span that has seen the Commanders principally bumble, the Wizards principally stumble, and the Nationals, Mystics, Spirit, and United undergo thrilling peaks and deep valleys. (As for our other favourite sport, nationwide politics and the White Home? The much less stated concerning the final 20 years, the higher).
Ovechkin confirmed up in 2004—only a few months after a little-known Illinois state senator named Barack Obama gave a stemwinding speech on the Democratic Nationwide Conference—as a grinning, high-octane Russian wrecking ball, and instantly began doing issues that appeared not possible, like his seminal objective in 2006 towards the Coyotes. He’s been the epitome of consistency, too, beginning his profession with an insane 52-goal season and scoring at the very least 30 targets in each season since (nicely, minus the Covid-shortened season the place he scored 24 in 45 video games). In 2018, he even helped convey Washington a Stanley Cup, exorcising years of inexplicable postseason failures. (Ovechkin then celebrated all summer season with us, as a result of in fact he did).
Ovechkin’s data don’t cease with the all-time targets mark. He’s additionally scored essentially the most additional time targets; most empty web targets; most energy play targets; most profession game-opening targets; most profession 30, 35, 40, 45 & 50 objective seasons; most goalies scored on; and doubtless some others we’re forgetting. He’s finished all of this for the Caps, which makes it particularly candy. We watched him develop up, begin a household, signal a number of contracts, and play for one workforce in a single place during his profession, one thing that doesn’t occur a lot, if in any respect, on this period of sports activities, through which Tom Brady leads to Tampa; LeBron James leaves Cleveland, comes again, and leaves once more; and Juan Soto leads to New York, twice. (Yep, we’re nonetheless bitter).
Over his 20-year profession, Ovechkin has handled lockouts, a pandemic, Father Time, and all these playoff losses to the Pittsburgh Penguins. And he wasn’t phased. He stored capturing, stored scoring. Russian machine by no means breaks. So what’s subsequent? Perhaps it’s time for one more Cup. Or possibly, simply possibly, 1,000 targets are in attain. Why not? Ovechkin clearly has extra left within the tank. And after 895 targets, the seemingly not possible is an entire lot much less so.
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