Posted on 04/05/2025 2:58:01 AM PDT by Libloather
Alex Ovechkin tied the NHL record for most career goals, putting him side-by-side with The Great One, Wayne Gretzky.
The Capitals star scored the history-tying goal — the 894th of his career — on Friday when he found the back of the net at the 6:13 mark in the third period against the Blackhawks on home ice at Capital One Arena.
It was his second goal of the night after he notched No. 893 in the first period.
With Washington on the power play in the final frame, the Capitals entered the zone with Ovechkin skating down the left side.
John Carlson fed Ovechkin, who was standing in the left circle before he fired a snap shot past Chicago netminder Spencer Knight.
“I’m still a little shaking and still can’t believe it,” Ovechkin said while sitting next to Gretzky after the Capitals win. “It’s history. It’s great for the game. It’s great to do it here. It’s special.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Gretzky was a very creative player; sometimes I was in awe of his advanced passing, moves, etc..
When playing the Black Hawks once, Edmonton had a penalty and was a man short, but they ruled the ice in the next two minutes. Wayne scored a short-handed goal, then nearly assisted in another one. The announcer said jokingly that he bet that Chicago was happy their power play had ended.
I still laugh at that remark.
His sense of the game was incredible. Combined with probably the best puck handling in the history of the sport. Of course he did provide the quote that, through no fault of his own, ruined American business for a decade. “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” So many bad corporate decisions were excused with that. We’re not going to where the market is, we’re going where it will be... are you sure about that? Do you really think you have Wayne Gretzky level understanding of your market sector? CEO of the company I worked for spewed that for why he kept canceling products right before we could ship it to put dev on his new “puck”. The company ceased to exist by the end of the year. I’d gotten out already.
But that was Gretz, he wasn’t fast, he wasn’t strong, he didn’t have a fast slapper. He just understood everything about the game, from how the other team will play all the way down to exactly the puck will do with any movement of his hand. Good times.
All that plus he really really worked hard.... first into the arena and last out all his life.
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