WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Alex Ovechkin scored the 889th purpose of his profession Tuesday evening, and is now six targets away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL file.
Ovechkin posted the tying purpose within the third interval to assist the Washington Capitals power time beyond regulation and acquire a degree. The Winnipeg Jets gained 3-2 within the additional session.
It has been a outstanding run this season for the East-leading Capitals, and Ovechkin, who entered the marketing campaign 42 targets in need of breaking a file that lengthy appeared unapproachable. He sat out 16 video games due to a damaged leg however resumed his pursuit in December.
The 39-year-old Russian, in his twentieth NHL season, took a cross from linemate Aliaksei Protas on Tuesday evening, and fired a wrist shot previous Vezina Trophy front-runner Connor Hellebuyck to tie the rating.
Ovechkin, named the sport’s third star, had 4 pictures on web, and completed with 17:43 time on ice throughout 20 shifts.
“Everybody do a terrific job and the puck got here to (Protas) and he finds me,” Ovechkin mentioned. “It was a fairly good play by all people.”
Coach Spencer Carbery known as it “a giant play in a giant second to get that sport tied.” It is changing into his job to seek out the most effective conditions to get Ovechkin in place to attain.
“He clearly needs to be on the market, after which I simply handle it with sure matchups and sure conditions,” Carbery mentioned. “That is one thing him and I’ve talked about and we type of work via, given the scenario and the circumstance of the sport.”
Ovechkin has 36 targets this season and is on monitor to succeed in 40 for a 14th time, additionally essentially the most in league historical past, regardless of his harm absence. The concentration is going to proceed to get brighter as he inches nearer to Gretzky.
“It’s what it’s,” Ovechkin mentioned. “It is a enjoyable time, clearly, however yeah you simply must take pleasure in it. It is a particular second, clearly. All people’s watching. All people’s listening to that.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
