Alex Ovechkin nets goal No. 895, breaks Wayne Gretzky’s ice hockey record

ELMONT – Marc Gatcomb outscored Alex Ovechkin on April 6.

“Probably going to be the last time I’ll be able to say that,” Gatcomb, the New York Islanders rookie centre, said after his first career two-goal game.

After April 6, no one may ever be able to say it again.

Ovechkin snapped a tie with Wayne Gretzky for the most goals scored in National Hockey League history, when the Washington Capitals left-winger scored a power play goal with 12:34 left in the second period of a 4-1 loss to the Islanders in Elmont.

The goal was the 895th of Ovechkin’s career, breaking the record held by Gretzky since 1999.

“I still can’t believe it,” he said afterwards. “It was so emotional. It was such a great night. This is something crazy. I’m probably going to need a couple more days, maybe a couple weeks, to realise what it does mean to be No. 1.”

The milestone goal capped an impressive sprint to the record by Ovechkin, who turned 39 in September but has 42 goals this season despite missing almost six weeks with a broken leg. He has at least one goal in 24 of his last 43 games, including each of the last four.

“At 39 years old, to be scoring at a clip that he is, almost as high as he’s ever scored, even at 25, 27, 28 – broken leg, all the stuff, it’s unbelievable,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said as he shook his head.

Oveckin’s historic goal likely began a lengthy tenure atop the all-time regular season list.

Sidney Crosby, who is 37 years old and entered the league with Ovechkin in 2005, ranks second among active players with 622 goals as at April 6.

Only five 20-somethings – Leon Draisaitl (399 goals), Auston Matthews (398), David Pastrnak (388), Nathan MacKinnon (367) and Connor McDavid (361) – are within 50 goals of reaching the 400-goal milestone.

“I mean, it’s insane when you put into perspective how many goals that is and how many little games he’s done it in,” Gatcomb said. “He’s the greatest goalscorer ever. That shot today was just textbook. So it’s awesome to see and it’s cool to be a part of.”

Ovechkin completed his pursuit of Gretzky in doubly appropriate fashion by scoring the record breaker in his 1,487th game – the same number of NHL games played by Gretzky – and doing so with his 325th power play goal, adding to his NHL record.

His goal unleashed a 20-minute celebration that began with Ovechkin raising his arms and skating a few steps before he belly-flopped on the ice as the crowd roared.

The scoreboard displayed a graphic reading: “895 NHL ALL-TIME GOALS LEADER ALEX OVECHKIN.”

“They say records are made to be broken,” Gretzky said during an on-ice ceremony. “But I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that.” REUTERS