Alex Ovechkin Makes NHL History
Ovechkin Stands Alone Passing Wayne Gretzky For Most Goals in NHL History
There is a goal-scoring king in the National Hockey League as Alex Ovechkin passes Wayne Gretzky, setting a new goal mark of 895 and counting.
🚨Night Cap Recap 🚨
Alex Ovechkin Makes History Goal 895 #allcaps #isles #nhl #Gr8Chase pic.twitter.com/BkwAfZ5cIy
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) April 6, 2025
Ovechkin scored his record-setting goal 895 on the power play. About halfway through the period, the Capitals went to a power play. Ovechkin lined up slightly out of his office and hammered home a pass from Tom Wilson, beating Ilya Sorokin to make history. Entering the game, Ovechkin had yet to score on Sorokin, but two records fell on Sunday.
GOAL NO. 895 FOR ALEX OVECHKIN 🚨👑 pic.twitter.com/miN550EEg1
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 6, 2025
Ovechkin had a chance to break the record after tying Gretzky with two goals on the night at 894. However, he chose not to go for the hat trick and get the ready on an empty net. He would rather have a goalie in the net to get the rocket. His wish came true.
Ovechkin, 39, entered this season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky's record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Capitals captain, who scored his 890th goal a week ago on Sunday, made it a special week for the NHL. It has been a special time for the NHL since the Four Nations, with the chase to pass Wayne Gretzky, as more and more eyeballs were turning to hockey.
Ovechkin needed five goals to break the record a week ago Sunday. All eyes were tuned in, and people spent thousands of dollars to see history on Long Island once they knew he tied the record on Friday.
Ovechkin is third in the league in goals with 42, trailing Leon Draisaitl with 52 and William Nylander with 44. He has now scored in five straight games. He is not slowing down and has the energy of a 20-year-old.
Ovechkin scored 15 times in his first 18 games before suffering a fractured left fibula during a Nov. 18 game against the Utah Hockey Club. He has scored 27 times in 42 games since he returned on Dec. 28. He has 20 goals in his last 27 games.
Just imagine if Ovechkin had not missed the 16 games with that injury. Not to mention the 152 games due to two lockouts and the pandemic. He would have passed Gretzky for most already and in way fewer games. Gretzky scored 894 goals in 1,487 games. However, Gretzky scored his 894th goal in game 1479. He did not score in the final eight games of his career, while Ovechkin scored 895 in 1487 games.
In addition to the goal record, Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky for the most empty-net goals. Ovechkin has a record of 65 empty-net goals, while Gretzky had 56, as he broke that record last season.
There was some doubt whether Ovechkin would break the record this season or next season. Things did not get off to a strong start for Ovechkin last season.
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He scored nine goals to start last season before his trip to Dubai at the All-Star Break and then went on a tear to finish the season with 22 goals in the final 35 games, including 15 goals in the final 17 games, to get the Capitals into the playoffs.
Entering the season, Ovechkin needed 40 goals to tie Gretzky and 41 goals to break it. There was some hedging as to whether or not it would be done this season. But the way Ovechkin finished last season, as previously mentioned, many thought it was possible.
However, this year, he has been on a tear and has made it his mission to break Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. Nobody thought the Capitals would be this good. Many figured it would just be Ovechkin scoring goals and the Capitals waiting for this to be over.
However, the Capitals proved everyone wrong except this writer, who had them in the playoffs, but not this good. Nobody saw the Capitals sit atop the Metro Division, which makes scoring goals more fun.
With Russia not participating in the Four Nations Faceoff and no members of the Washington Capitals participating for any of the nations, there was time to rest and train.
Ovechkin went down to Florida to train with Darius Kasparaitis and be ready when the puck dropped when the season resumed. Alex Ovechkin has turned back the clock.
When someone says he can’t do something because Father Time shows signs of him slowing, Ovechkin brings his game to another level as he records his 13th season of 40 or more goals.
Alex Ovechkin is the best pure goal scorer in NHL history, and the numbers now say it.
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