Alex Ovechkin is now officially the sole keeper of the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring title, having picked up his 895th goal, and if you weren’t sure…that is a lot of goals. Really a lot of goals. So many, in fact, that no one – not even Ovechkin himself – thought he could hit that number even a few years ago.
But with Ovechkin, it’s not just about the sheer number of goals he scored. It’s also the way he scored them, the exuberance and skill and pure “how the hell did he do that??”-ness of so many of his goals, that makes him special – and it’s why we, as Caps fans, are simply the luckiest fans in the league to have been treated to his talent for the last twenty years.
So it seemed like the best way for us to pay homage to this incredible feat, rather than simply make a list of his best or most important goals, would be to share our very favorite Ovechkin goals. Join us, won’t you, on this walk down memory lane – and feel free to add your own in the comments!
February 7, 2010 vs. Penguins
Kalilu
Snowmaggedon, a week where back-to-back blizzards immobilized the entire DMV area with some places receiving over 30 inches of snow, was a core memory of my childhood. I’ll never forget stepping outside only for my eight-year-old frame to be knee deep in snow, and celebrating getting two full weeks of school off…until I learned about the concept of making up for snow days in June.
I’ll also never forget what Alex Ovechkin did the Sunday afternoon after the first blizzard subsided. The Pittsburgh Penguins arrived in DC at 2:15 AM for the second installment of the Caps’ annual Super Bowl Sunday matinee, just ten hours before puck drop. That didn’t lead to them having a sluggish start on national TV, as they jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on the strength of a couple of Sidney Crosby tallies in the first period.
And then, Snowvechkin took over.
Midway through the second period, Ovi would slice the Pittsburgh lead in half by snagging a nifty feed from Jeff Schultz, breezing past the defense and firing career goal #259 past Marc-Andre Fleury, shattering the goal cam and causing a brief delay in the process. He was done causing property damage for the day, but he wasn’t done lighting the lamp as his two goals in the third period pushed the game into overtime after Washington was down 4-2. One assist on a Mike Knuble game winner later, and the bow was wrapped on Ovechkin’s standout performance of what at that point was his most dominant season yet, leaving the day with his season goal total at 42 in just 51 games played.
This was the “Rock the Red” era at its zenith, in the midst of a season that saw the Capitals boast the best offense of the salary cap era up to that point, led by Ovechkin at the absolute peak of his powers. While the infamous “Dueling Hat Tricks” playoff game a year prior is often lauded as the height of the Caps/Pens rivalry, this game remains the first regular season encounter I think of when it comes to these teams, and one of my favorite memories of rooting for this franchise overall.
January 16, 2006 vs. Coyotes
J.P.
This goal was everything – a still-early (pre-“Rock the Red”) announcement to the League that Alex Ovechkin’s hunger for goal-scoring was insatiable. In the span of less than three purely instinctual seconds, Ovechkin displayed his speed, power, skill and creativity (not to mention style – the skate laces, the tinted visor, the dangling drawstrings).
“The Goal” is the most iconic goal in the career of the most iconic goal-scorer (and the goal of the century) for a reason. Heck, even Joe B. rose to the occasion (as he is wont to do) and delivered what has to be his most iconic moment.
And, if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s the you-can’t-make-this-up context of an eight-year-old kid who would one day hope to challenge the very record we’re now celebrating being in the crowd, and, of course, the opposing head coach (who scored a few goals himself) looking on:
Wayne Gretzky looking up at Alex Ovechkin’s goal-scoring prowess… as it should be and now forever is.
October 7, 2017 vs. Canadiens
Greg
Lets set up the context for this goal though: it’s coming right after (yet another) devastating postseason loss to the Penguins. The Caps were past their “window” and were doomed to suffer playoff defeat after playoff defeat. Then, during camp, Alex Ovechkin uttered his now-famous we’re “not going to be suck this year” quote.
And he backed that up, potting a remarkable 7 goals in 2 games, including this remarkable turn-around shot. The Caps and Ovechkin would indeed “not be suck” that year, and would ride that momentum (albeit with a few ups and downs) all the way to the Stanley Cup.
March 18, 2009 vs. Canadiens
Rob
It’s hard to narrow down my favorite Ovi goal against Montreal, much less against the whole league. He’s always loved playing the Habs and always seemed to bring his best. This goal has always stuck with me because it’s a one of a kind and shows off the range of skills that have made Ovi the best goal scorer ever.
He’s got speed through open ice, power through contact, the ability to get shots on net no matter how off balance or under duress he is, and the creativity to try a spinning back pass to himself around an NHL defenseman. This is the kind of move you try in a league that’s no match for you or pickup hockey, not the NHL.
But it reminds us that so many times through his career, the NHL has been a league that is no match for him. He’s been qualitatively the best scorer the league has ever seen since day 1, and now he’s quantitatively the best as well.
Congrats Ovi, it’s been incredible watching and rooting for you.
October 5, 2005 vs. Blue Jackets
Becca
I was lucky enough to be in the building for Alex Ovechkin’s first NHL game, and admittedly going into this game I didn’t know a whole lot about the guy other than 1) he was Russian and b) my dad was telling me I should be excited about him. There was definitely a buzz in the building that was exciting, but I certainly wasn’t prepared for what was to come.
Then Alex Ovechkin hit the ice for his first NHL shift, and immediately leveled Radoslav Suchý, not only knocking the Columbus defender down but dislodging a stanchion from the glass behind the net. It was an incredible, unexpected start – and after that, the electricity level at then-Verizon Center ramped up, only growing as he added not just one but two goals to the scoresheet.
It’s not even the goals themselves that I remember; we’ve all seen them, especially the first one, and the celebration, dropping to one knee and letting out his now-iconic Ovi yell. It’s everything about him, his talent and magnetic presence and energy, that immediately made him stand out above the rest. After that first shift I experienced something that I’d never really seen before but would get the great fortune of experiencing for the next nearly 20 years, the way Ovechkin simply touching the puck could draw fans to the edge and then out of their seats.
The first two of 895…and, amazingly, counting. We are incredibly lucky.
Thank you for taking us all on this ride, captain.