Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Alex Ovechkin has one more player to pass before becoming the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history.
Ovechkin tied and passed Gordie Howe on the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring list with his 801st and 802nd lamplighters on Friday night against the Winnipeg Jets. He’s now 92 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s 894 for first.
“It’s nice to get it done at home in front of our house, family, our friends, obviously fans, it’s a great feeling,” Ovechkin said after the game.
“I know all my family and friends are proud of me, and the same as the fans. We just have to keep going, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
He got his 800th goal during a hat-trick performance against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 13. Between those games, Ovechkin passed Hall of Famer Ray Bourque’s 6,209 shots for the most ever in NHL history against the Ottawa Senators Thursday night.
His 801st goal came on a snap against Winnipeg Jets goalie Dave Rittich. Dylan Strome fed ‘The Great 8’ with a drop pass, and Ovechkin wired it five-hole on Rittich.
With one minute to go in the game, Ovechkin received the puck in the neutral zone with an empty net in the Jets’ end. As he entered the zone, Jets defender Josh Morrissey blocked his lane to the net, so he dished the puck to fellow Russian Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov easily could’ve shot the puck, but he knew what was on the line. Instead of shooting into the open cage, he passed backwards to Ovechkin, who then blindly tossed it into the net from the boards while Morrissey tried to pin him. Hey, at least he increased the degree of difficulty to get No. 802 and surpass Mr. Hockey.
Gordie Howe passed away in 2016, but his son Mark Howe appeared on screen afterwards to congratulate the man who passed his father in goals.
“You’re one of very few people in this game that brings a wow factor to me,” Howe said. “You embrace the fans. You’re everything that my mother and father would be very proud of. I know if they were here today, they would be at this hockey game (and) they’d be the first ones to congratulate you.
“Now it’s time to set new goals for No. 99.”
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