Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record
Alex Ovechkin shoots the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at Capital One Arena on Friday. -Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has tied Wayne Gretzky's NHL all-time goals record with his 894th goal after he scored twice Friday in the team's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
With the Hall of Famer in attendance, Ovechkin entered Friday night's contest needing three goals to break the record and two to tie it.
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The 39-year-old wasted no time in getting on the board, getting a behind-the-net feed from Dylan Strome before firing a one-timer from the circle to beat Blackhawks' goalkeeper Spencer Nightoff for his 893rd career goal at 3:53 of the first period.
'Oh yeah, everyone's buzzing right now. Wayne is here, so yeah, it's a special moment,' Ovechkin told Monumental Sports Network on if he felt the atmosphere of the crowd.
The goal marked the 40th of the season for Ovechkin, becoming the first player in league history with three 40-goal campaigns at age 35 and over.
For most of the game, it seemed as if Ovechkin would have to wait to match Gretzky. A chance in the final minute of the second period appeared like it would draw him level with the historic record but he missed just wide.
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A little more than six minutes into the third period, Ovechkin equaled the historic mark, one-timing the feed from John Carlson to tie the Great One.
Play stopped momentarily, with the crowd at Capital One Arena giving the Capitals' star a standing ovation. Following the goal, Ovechkin skated towards his family, greeting them with high fives. He then skated towards center ice and waved at the crowd.
He was also shown waving at Gretzky and blowing a kiss his way.
Minutes after the record-tying goal, Gretzky commended Ovechkin for joining him in history.
'This is what the game is all about,' Gretzky told the Monumental Sports Network broadcast. 'Alex has been great for the game and great for Washington and great for his own country. It's wonderful, I'm very proud of him.
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'I'm proud of what I accomplished and that's what makes our game so wonderful. It's the great athletes we have and more importantly, the great people they are.'
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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