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Ovechkin, His Milestone Goals & the Goalies He Beat

*This article was up to date in March 2023

On June 26, 2004, the Washington Capitals drafted Alexander Ovechkin with the first total choice in the NHL Draft. It was recognized then that he can be a particular participant for the Capitals shifting ahead, however did anybody know simply how historic he can be?


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Since coming into the league, he’s been arguably the most prolific goal scorer – cementing his place amongst NHL lore. While he could not have the total document – but – it’s on the verge of changing into a no-doubter with every passing sport.

Alex Ovechkin Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

On Dec. 13, 2022, he took one step nearer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time document of 894 objectives along with his 800th profession common season tally. With that, I figured we might look again on a few of Ovechkin’s milestone objectives and which goalies grew to become part of historical past as he appears to be like to interrupt the all-time document in the coming seasons.

First Career Goal (Oct. 5, 2005)

It didn’t take Ovechkin lengthy to get moving into the NHL. Debuting for the Capitals on Oct. 5, 2005, as a 20-year-old, their future captain potted two objectives earlier than Dainius Zubrus received it for the Capitals late in the second interval.

Ovechkin grew to become the first participant in Capitals historical past to attain two objectives in his debut and he can thank, then Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltender, Pascal Leclaire for that designation.

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Leclaire, who was in his second season with the Blue Jackets, gave up three objectives in the loss on 19 pictures and completed with a .842 save proportion in the sport. Ovechkin’s objectives had been two of 97 that Leclaire gave up that season in 33 video games for the Blue Jackets.

In 37 profession video games in opposition to the Blue Jackets, Ovechkin has 18 objectives and 28 factors – together with 5 in opposition to Leclaire over his profession.

a hundredth Career Goal (Oct. 12, 2007)

It took him simply over two calendar years and 166 extra video games, however Ovechkin’s a hundredth NHL tally got here in his 167th common season sport in opposition to one other legend of the sport in Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.


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It was the solely purpose the Capitals scored in a 3-1 loss to the Rangers on Oct. 12, 2007, nevertheless it was a giant one for Ovechkin.

Henrik Lundqvist New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Lundqvist went on to cease 24 of the 25 pictures he confronted that evening and took the win together with a .960 save proportion.

As for Ovechkin’s profession numbers in opposition to Lundqvist and the Rangers, he has 33 objectives and 53 factors in 58 profession common season video games in opposition to Rangers and has a career-high 24 objectives in opposition to Lundqvist – the most of any goalie in his profession. To put that into perspective, 3.4 p.c of his objectives have come in opposition to Lundqvist.

two hundredth Career Goal (Feb. 5, 2009)

Two and have years after tallying his a hundredth profession purpose, Ovechkin victimized one other unbelievable goaltender with one more milestone purpose as he tallied his two hundredth profession purpose in a 5-4 loss to Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings.

Ovechkin’s third-period tally bought the Capitals inside a purpose halfway by the ultimate body, earlier than Kyle Calder put it away from the Kings that evening. As for Quick, he stopped 41 of 45 pictures for a .911 save proportion and the win. Still, he grew to become simply one other piece in Ovechkin’s goal-scoring story.

As for his profession numbers in opposition to Quick, he’s scored seven objectives in opposition to the Kings’ netminder over his profession and has 11 objectives and 21 factors in 22 common season video games in opposition to the Kings group.

three hundredth Career Goal (Apr. 5, 2011)

Fast ahead one other two years and Ovechkin struck one other milestone – his three hundredth profession common season purpose. The tally got here in a 3-2 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Apr. 4, 2011 when he fired a primary interval shot previous James Reimer to tie the sport.

James Reimer
James Reimer (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Reimer went on to cease 39 of 41 pictures, however took the loss in the shootout. He took house a .951 save proportion in the sport, however stays certainly one of the few goalies named in the Ovechkin milestone hunt.

Ovechkin has torched the Maple Leafs over his profession with 41 objectives and 73 factors in 50 profession common season video games. As for Reimer, Ovechkin has put the puck previous him on six events – together with his three hundredth profession purpose.

four-hundredth Career Goal (Dec. 20, 2013)

Less than two years later, Ovechkin had reached one other 100-goal plateau along with his four-hundredth profession purpose coming in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes on an empty web. The Capitals received the sport 4-2 and Ovechkin’s milestone purpose was the insurance coverage marker with Cam Ward on the Hurricanes’ bench.

To date, Ovechkin has scored 43 objectives and 95 factors in 81 common season video games in opposition to the Hurricanes. While his four-hundredth tally was on an empty web, it may not have mattered contemplating his all-time numbers in opposition to Ward as effectively.

Over his profession, Ward fell sufferer to Ovechkin 19 instances. He’s amongst the prime 5 goaltenders in terms of objectives in opposition to for the famous person Russian. He falls simply shy of Lundqvist’s 24 and makes up for two.7 p.c of Ovechkin’s profession objectives.

All-Time Russian Scorer (Nov. 19, 2015)

Not all of his milestones got here as century purpose marks. In Nov. 2015, Ovechkin scored his 484th profession purpose to develop into the all-time chief in objectives scored by a Russian-born participant – passing Sergei Fedorov.

Sergei Fedorov of the Detroit Red Wings
On Nov. 19, 2015, Ovechkin beat Kari Lehtonen to develop into the highest Russian-born purpose scorer in NHL historical past. (Credit: Tom Pigeon/Allsport)

The purpose got here in a 3-2 loss in opposition to the Dallas Stars – a third-period tally that tied the sport. The goalie that allowed the purpose was Kari Lehtonen, who completed the sport stopping 33 of 35 pictures for a .943 save proportion.

Ovechkin had Lehtonen’s variety of his profession, scoring 22 profession objectives in opposition to the former Atlanta Thrashers and Dallas Stars’ netminder. As for his numbers in opposition to the Stars, Ovechkin has 10 objectives and 16 factors in 20 profession video games in opposition to them.

five hundredth Career Goal (Jan. 10, 2016)

Just below two months after changing into the highest-scoring Russian participant, Ovechkin fired house his five hundredth profession purpose in a 7-1 thrashing of Andrew Hammond and the Ottawa Senators. Ovechkin additionally added his 501st that evening as he completed the sport with two objectives.

Related: The NHL 500-Goal Club

As for Hammond, he gave up all seven objectives on simply 36 pictures ending the sport with a .806 save proportion. While he wasn’t certainly one of the extra widespread victims in Ovechkin’s historical past of purpose scoring, the two objectives he gave as much as Ovechkin in 2016 had been included his five hundredth profession purpose. They had been, nevertheless, the solely two he ever surrendered to the famous person ahead.

Ottawa, as a group, hasn’t been as fortunate over the years. In 48 profession regular-season video games in opposition to the Senators, Ovechkin has tallied 31 objectives and 51 factors.

His five hundredth purpose got here in simply his 801st NHL sport making him the fifth-fastest participant in NHL historical past to achieve that mark.

600th Career Goal (Mar. 12, 2018)

It was one other two-goal sport in 2018 that locked Ovechkin in as a 600-goal scorer. The objectives got here in a 3-2 additional time victory over Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets. Once once more, it was a part of a 40-plus-goal marketing campaign and, though Hellebuyck stopped 40 of 43 pictures, he was handed the loss in the sport.

Related: The NHL 600-Goal Club

Ovechkin has dominated the Jets’ franchise over his profession scoring 48 objectives and 92 factors in 66 profession regular-season video games in opposition to the Jets/Thrashers group. While Hellebuyck is pretty recent to the league nonetheless, his numbers aren’t practically as dangerous in opposition to Ovechkin.

Hellebuyck has solely given up 4 objectives to Ovechkin in his profession. Considering they solely play twice per season, there’s a superb probability that quantity received’t inflate anytime quickly. That mentioned, Hellebuyck stays certainly one of the goaltenders victimized by an Ovechkin milestone.

700th Career Goal (Feb. 22, 2020)

With his 700th profession purpose, Ovechkin made the New Jersey Devils and Mackenzie Blackwood the reply to a future trivia query. While it did are available in a loss, Ovechkin tallied a third-period purpose to achieve the milestone.

Alex Ovechkin scoring his 700th goal
Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin scoring his 700th purpose, Feb. 22, 2020 (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

As for Blackwood, he completed the sport with 33 saves on 35 pictures and took the win. Over his profession, Ovechkin has beat Blackwood six instances and has 38 tucks on the Devils in his profession. In 70 video games in opposition to the Devils, he has 38 objectives and 77 factors.

800th Career Goal (Dec. 13, 2022)

His most up-to-date milestone marker got here on in opposition to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks and goaltender Petr Mrazek. It was his 800th profession purpose and put him simply 94 objectives again of Gretzky’s all-time NHL document. It additionally got here as a part of a hat trick efficiency and a four-point evening in a 7-3 Capitals win.

The purpose itself was the group’s fifth purpose of the sport and Ovechkin’s twentieth of the season and he completed the evening with three objectives and one help.

As for Mrazek, he completed the sport stopping simply 23 of 30 pictures for a .767 save proportion. As for Ovechkin’s numbers in opposition to Mrazek and the Blackhawks, he has 14 objectives and 26 factors in 22 profession regular-season video games in opposition to the Blackhawks and 9 objectives in opposition to Mrazek over his profession.

Related: The NHL 700-Goal Club

Now, already into his subsequent 100 objectives, Ovechkin sits simply 78 objectives again of Gretzky for the NHL’s all-time common season document. While it received’t be a milestone he reaches this season, he might discover himself atop the all-time purpose scorers checklist in the subsequent three seasons.






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