Alex Ovechkin can break the NHL’s goals from Wayne Gretzky on Sunday

By Stephen Whyno

Washington (AP) – Alex Ovechkin cracked a Bud Light and took a sip with casualness while neighboring fans chanted: “Ovi! Ovi!” He was quickly joined by Wayne Gretzky to put the two biggest scorers in the history of the NHL side by side.

At the moment, they are tied at 894 goals each after Ovechkin scored twice on Friday evening to match the total of Gretzky that many thought that no one would never be approaching. When Ovechkin was invited to break the record, the “big” had a large reply.

“Hold a second well – he hasn’t done it yet,” said Gretzky, who equaled the record for the Gordie Howe time record with two goals in San Jose against the Sharks in 1994. “Can you give me 24 hours more?”

Gretzky obtains at least that. Ovechkin’s next chance to spend Gretzky arrives on Sunday in the morning in New York Islanders.

All eyes will be on the 39 -year -old Russian superstar, who dipped when celebrating n ° 894 in front of the Washington Capitals fans who encouraged him during his two decades in the League and with Gretzky, his mother, his wife and his children present. As reflexive as Ovechkin reaches there, he has instantly returned to his standard response when asked when he could break the record.

“It’s the match per game; it’s a quarter of work,” said Ovechkin. “You never know what will happen. We will simply continue to enjoy it and continue to do our best because we still have six games before the playoffs and our mind at the moment is to prepare for the playoffs and play the right way in the playoffs.”

The playoffs are six games, but the capitals want to make sure that Ovechkin obtains the record for itself.

“There is a reason why we are trying to get him: the guy has 41 goals,” said the Dylan Strome center, which established Ovechkin’s 893rd goal four minutes after the match against Chicago. “It’s incredible.”

If Ovechkin is not able to score on Sunday at Icelanders, the capital will then play at home Thursday evening against the Carolina division rival. But everyone around the team would like to end it as soon as possible, something that Gretzky knows about his own pursuit of the Gordie Howe record in 801 in the spring of 1994.

“People don’t realize this – because I have experienced what Alex is going through – it’s also difficult for your teammates,” said Gretzky. “It’s happy and exciting, but they feel pressure and stress and they have to answer all questions too.”

After Ovechkin equaled Gretzky, they were more than happy to answer questions. They could feel anticipation build towards Ovechkin – the 2018 elimination series MVP leading the capital in their first Stanley Cup championship – doing something special.

“I think that the last games that you might feel a little, but obviously on the ice at home in something extremely feasible for the guy, it seemed different overnight,” said his longtime teammate John Carlson, who spent the washer to Ovechkin for n ° 894. “Heating, the gout of the washer.”

Inevitable until it also breaks it. While Gretzky rose to leave the post-match festivities, he tightened Ovechkin and praised and said: “See you on Sunday.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Originally published: April 5, 2025 at 8:42 a.m.