WASHINGTON DC — Over his 20-year NHL career, Alex Ovechkin has rarely passed up a chance to score. Ovechkin made history Friday night, scoring twice at home in DC to tie Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goals record. The goal brought the crowd at Capital One Arena roaring to its feet, stopping play for several minutes as Ovechkin’s teammates poured from the bench in celebration. But after he took a moment to bask in the accomplishment — saluting his family, Capitals faithful, and the watching Wayne Gretzky — Ovechkin was ready to go for the hat trick.
With just under two minutes to go, the Chicago Blackhawks pulled goaltender Spencer Knight, giving Ovechkin had what could have been a clear chance for goal no. 895. Head coach Spencer Carbery and the rest of the team were ready to set Ovechkin up for the record-breaking marker, while fans watching on waited for him to take the ice. Ovechkin, however, didn’t want the story to end on an empty cage. “I tell Carbs right away, ‘I don’t want to do it,’” Ovechkin said postgame. “Stromer ask me, Carly ask me, everybody ask me, ‘Do you want it? Do you want it?’ I said, ‘Let’s wait.’”
Ovechkin, who holds the league record with 65 empty-net goals, knows how it feels to reach a milestone without a goalie in net: he scored an empty-netter back in 2022 for goal no. 802, passing Gordie Howe for second in all-time goals. Even then, Ovechkin was hesitant to shoot, passing the puck back and forth with Evgeny Kuznetsov in a game of hot potato before lighting the lamp.
Given the stakes at hand — two minutes to go, the chance for a hat trick, and the opportunity to make history on home ice — Carbery wanted to make sure Ovechkin was certain in his decision to sit the play out. Still, he stood by Ovechkin’s decision, even if it cost him a chance at the record Friday night. “He wants to break the record with a goaltender in the crease, which I appreciate, and he didn’t want to go up,” Carbery said postgame. “He told me that on the bench, and I just wanted to confirm and make sure that he didn’t want to go out.
“Being at home, it’s hard, right? Because for us as coaches and me, even, I just want to make sure that he — ‘Are you sure in this moment, hat trick, at home?’ And he didn’t want to go out and score on an empty net to break the record. And I appreciate that. We have six games left. He wants to break the record and have that moment be where he’s shooting a puck past a goalie. And I have a lot of appreciation for that.”
Dylan Strome, who has spent three years as Ovechkin’s center, similarly grappled with Ovechkin’s decision — for once, no one on the bench wanted to score — but ultimately deferred to his judgement. “It’s hard, because for a hat trick goal, it’s a little different,” Strome said postgame. “I asked him about 15 times. I didn’t want to be the guy to shoot it in the empty net if he wanted the empty netter…you don’t want to be the guy to shoot it into the empty net if he’s looking for it to pass, but he made it pretty clear that he didn’t want to get it on an empty netter, and you’ve got to respect his wishes.”
Ryan Leonard eventually scored in Ovechkin’s place, notching the first goal of his NHL career. “I’m happy for Leno. He score his first NHL goal. The kid have a great future,” Ovechkin said postgame.
https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2025/04/05/alex-ovechkin-turned-down-895-empty-net/
Comment: This would have been a helluva game to be at. Too bad the ticket prices are now so damned high. My younger son and I would enjoy going to those games occasionally. My older son would also attend when the Capitals played the Penguins. He’s a Penguins fan and would wear his Malkin jersey while we wore our Ovi jerseys. Those were good times. No, those were great times.
Both during and after last night’s game, there was much praise and good will for both Ovechkin and Gretzsky. It was a great sight to behold. Then this morning I read several shots at both Gretzsky and Ovechkin; at Gretzsky for his support of Trump and Ovechkin for his support of Russia and Putin. So what. I don’t like Putin or Trump, but I can enjoy hockey greatness when I see it. Jesus, people! Lighten up! No wonder the world is going to Hell.
BTW, there’s a good chance that Ovi will surpass Gretzsky with his 895th goal tomorrow on Long Island. But there’s no rush. He still has a year on his contract with the Capitals. Then he will most likely be back to Russia where he wanst to end his career. Good for him. I’m just grateful for having experienced the Ovi era.
TTG
1000% with you TTG. People need to check politics at the door. We’re talking about hockey history being made.
I am old enough to remember when ice hockey was a winter sport. Now, both Florida teams have won the Stanley Cup. Growing up in Sweden, I even played into my teens. I do not expect this record to be broken anytime soon. One reason both players made as many goals were in part due to playing for the same team for many years. In a sense, Ovi’s feat is more impressive since the goalies are so much bigger and better today. I do watch my Tampa Bay team anytime I can and gratefully I have a big enough TV so that I can even see the puck.
Ovi did the right thing IMO. He didn’t want the record being handed to him. He’ll score those goals the hard way.
Ovi got number 895 today. The chase is over. Too bad that was the only goal the Capitols got today. They’ve been playing like crap for the last two weeks. Time to switch gears and tighten up for the playoffs.
He now holds the record, but what else can he now do? I am not sure he will remain playing for the Capitals much longer. In hockey terms he is old, he is unable to assist on defense and his time on ice is still way under what his competitors do. I also think that as a Russian, he would want to go home. I am sure the Capitals would not retire him, but he may very well do it for them and himself.
Lars,
He has one more year on his contract with the Capitals. I was at the game when his last seven year contract was announced. The team did well with his old Russian ass on the team this year. We brought up some good prospects and made a few good trades and it worked. There’s no reason he’ll suddenly far apart next year. After that, he said he’ll probably go back to Moscow to play for his old team as long as he can.
I don’t expect his game to fall apart next year, but he has always been homesick. His coach has also limited his play more and more and that may become a factor. But time will tell.