EVERYONE AGREED: HE COULDN'T DO IT ... BUT OVECHKIN DID
OK, so it was historic … and emotional … a once-in-a-lifetime occasion that brought smiles to anyone fortunate enough to watch – in person or via TV – as well as “goose-bumps” to the central figure of it all … as ALEXANDER MIKHAILOVICH OVECHKIN added magic to his list of credits.
“Ovi! Ovi! Ovi!” the sellout crowd at Capital One
Arena started chanting early. “Ovi! Ovi! Ova!”
There’s an old saying. “The difficult we do
immediately … the impossible takes a little longer.
Friday night Ovechkin did what nobody, himself
included, once thought possible. Scoring twice, the
Washington Capitals veteran captain pulled even
with WAYNE GRETZKY for the NHL lead in
career goals set 31 years ago.
“HE SCORES! THE GREAT 8 IS STANDING
SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THE GREAT ONE,” said
Voice of the Caps JOE BENINATI, obviously ready
for the moment after Ovechkin, 39, beat Chicago
Blackhawks goaltender SPENCER KNIGHT for
the record-matching 494th goal with 6:19 gone in the
third period.
“Ovi! … Ovi! … Ovi!”
Of course, Gretzky, The Great One, was there. He
told former Capital now studio commentator ALAN
MAY … “in 2016, he would be here when
Alexander Ovechkin broke his record … and I never
thought it was possible … Alex played the game way
too hard,” May said.
Laughlin agreed. ”He’s done something everyone
thought was unattainable … including yours truly,”
Laughlin said.
“Ovi! … Ovi! … Ovi!
More May: “You know, when he was younger,
[Gretzky] didn’t want to break GORDIE HOWE’s
record. He was Wayne’s favorite player, right to the
end. [But] his dad was such a wise man.
“He said, “Know what? He wants you to break it ..
and when someone breaks your record, you’re going
to be there and you’re going to do the same thing …
with grace and humility.’ And there he was tonight,
with grace and humility … He was proud of
Alexander Ovechkin.”
Gretzky, 64, watched the game, won by the first-
place home team 5-3, seated – but, mostly standing,
between NHL commissioner GARY BETTMAN
and KASH PATEL, recently named director of the
FBI.
From the beginning, he planned to be there, to
congratulate Ovechkin, the way Howe was on hand
to pat him on the back for a job well done breaking
his record of 801 goals. Gretzky began attending
Washington games April 2 in Raleigh, N.C., where
Ovechkin scored to close to within two goals of his
record.
With the struggling Blackhawks next, there was no
way Gretzky could miss this one. They seem to bring
out the best in Ovechkin. On Dec. 22, 2022, in
Chicago, he scored a hat trick that included his 800th
goal.
“Ovi! … Ovi! … Ovi!”
In truth, the Great 8 could have/should have matched
the anticipation of another hat that would have ended
Gretzky’s reign Friday night. He opened the scoring
3:52 in, taking a pass from DYLAN STROME and
beating Knight from short range to the goalie’s left.
It was Ovechkin’s 40th goal of the season. “One
down, two to go,” said Beninati.
His second goal, what proved the game winner (what
else?), came from deep inside the circle to Knight’s
right, picking the short side after a perfect pass from
long-time teammate and defenseman JOHN
CARLSON.
“Ovi! … Ovi! … Ovi!”
Just like that he had overtaken Gretzky in 20 years,
playing – believe it or not – only one less game. By
then the place was going nuts, and you can only
imagine how the fans would have reacted had he
converted a breakaway among three or four blue
ribbon chances thereafter.
They evened booed (lightly and briefly) Knight for
making a couple of great stops on Ovechkin shots
labeled goal. On the breakaway, the 6-3, 238-pound
forward came too fast, got in too deep, tried to
correct and momentarily lost control. “I think he just
ran out of race track,” Laughlin said.
A late Chicago penalty gave Ovechkin the perfect
opportunity to send the crowd home really happy.
The TV cameras caught Capitals’ coach SPENCER
CARBERY having a quick conversation with him.
For those of us watching at home, the message was
clear: With Knight going to the bench for another
skater in what still was a one-goal game, Ovechkin
didn’t want to break the record with an empty-net
goal.
Sure enough, after rookie RYAN LEONARD got his
first pro goal without opposition 1:36 from the end,
there was some confusion, In fact, Gretzky admitted
later he expected the former Boston College All-
American would keep the puck, go behind the cage,
and look for Ovechkin, who was on the ice at the
time.
“Ovi! … Ovi! … Ovi!”
Good thing Leonard got the message. Sorry, Wayne.
You’ll just have to be on hand Sunday afternoon
when The Great 8 goes for No. 495 against the New
York Islanders … and fellow Russian and goalie
ILIYA SOROKIN … who has yet to give up a goal
to his countryman.
The scene is set. On the road again. No
matter. Tickets are being scalped at record
(for hockey) rates. Count on another epic occasion.
Meanwhile, we saw teammates greet Ovechkin in
the dressing room with a beer shower. And we heard
him tell AL KOKEN … “It’s been fun. Yeah, I was
nervous. But it’s been something special.” Then, to
the crowd, Ovechkin said, “Thank you, guys, for the
support.”
Once again we were reminded that hockey is such a
special, unique game … that can bring out the worst
in someone (and too often does) during a long, hard
season that takes its toll, mentally as well as
physically, yet when it is over … no matter what has
happened … the players always line up and shake
hands.
“Ovi! … Ovi! … Ovi! … indeed.
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