Along with his two objectives on Friday evening in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals famous person Alexander Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record with 894 goals scored. He had what appeared to be a primary alternative to interrupt it and change into the NHL’s all-time main goal-scorer within the ultimate minute when the Blackhawks pulled goalie Spencer Knight for an additional attacker.
However Ovechkin didn’t get the purpose empty-net purpose, with that honor as an alternative going to rookie Ryan Leonard for his first NHL purpose.
That was not an accident, and it was very a lot by design.
Ovechkin merely didn’t need his record-breaking purpose to come back with no goalie within the internet.
On one hand, it is extremely admirable — and never stunning — that Ovechkin needs the file to be damaged in opposition to a goalie. Maybe even on certainly one of his signature one-timers from the circle on the facility play, or some form of spotlight reel play that will likely be remembered.
An empty-net purpose would take away a number of the luster from the second.
Not all of it. However actually a few of it.
But it surely was additionally an ideal alternative to interrupt the file on what would have been a hat-trick purpose, and in entrance of the hometown followers in Washington. All of that might have actually made up for the shortage of a goalie.
However that didn’t matter to Ovechkin, who clearly has a imaginative and prescient in thoughts for the way he needs this second to go. If he goes just a few extra video games this season with out scoring a purpose he might change his thoughts on that imaginative and prescient.
Now the Capitals are happening the highway for Sunday’s sport on the New York Islanders, creating the chance for Ovechkin to interrupt the file on the highway. Capitals followers actually don’t care the place he does it, however doing it at residence would have actually added one other layer of pleasure to the second.
If he doesn’t break the file on Sunday in opposition to the Islanders, the Capitals will return residence on Thursday in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes. Of the Capitals’ six remaining common season video games this season, solely two extra of them are at residence.
