Ovechkin’s “very proud” Kucherov who passes Gretzky, beat of the NHL goals

New York – While Alex Ovechkin has continued to score in the past two weeks to get closer and closer to the NHL goal record, which he set on Sunday with No. 895, Nikita Kucherov continued to think of Michael Jordan and how he was represented in “The Last Dance”.

“Looking at ‘MJ’ in the documentary, I think it’s the same thing with Alex,” Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning striker on Monday at NHL.com. “It becomes personal. He hunted that. Few people have that; I see him and I will go get it and I am not afraid of that. Like, they attack. He is one of those guys.”

Ovechkin, Washington and Captain’s capital striker, was in full attack mode all season in his pursuit of the record that belonged to Wayne Gretzky.

He entered the season, needing 42 goals in 82 games to beat the 894 Gretzky record. Ovechkin scored his 42nd goal in his 61st game, Washington’s only goal in a 4-1 loss to New York Islanders.

Ovechkin missed 16 games with a leg injury.

Capitals (49-19-9) still have five regular season games to play.

“It’s crazy,” said Kucherov. “No one could never have thought that something like it would happen, but he did it and I am very proud of him. I am very proud that Russia has such a great player, the top scorer. For us, it’s huge.

“I think he is a good example for dedication and love for the game and the way he is out of the ice. He always puts 42 goals at 39, which is crazy and it is a great inspiration for all of us to see what he does every year at the age of 39.”

Kucherov, who is second in the NHL this season with 112 points (33 goals, 79 assists) in 72 games, said he knew in the sequence of events that preceded the record goal that Ovechkin was going to do it on this game.

Capitals were being powerful. Dylan Strome transported the washer to the neutral area. The Icelanders were in a 2-2 box. Before Strome won the blue line, he went to Tom Wilson, who was on his right. Wilson had space. He transported the washer of a few strides to the top of the right confrontation circle.

Ovechkin was at the top of the left circle. Wilson accelerated a pass through the intact environment to Ovechkin. He had to go back slightly to correct the washer, then whispered a hard shot in front of goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin.

“He saw the game develop, he jumped into the hole and obtained the washer,” said Kucherov. “He was able to receive it and collect it and put it short. I played with ‘Stramer’ (Steven Stamkos) and I think that Ovi and Stammer are the only two who can pull the washer from the circle like that and always in position to obtain the washer. It does not matter if they shoot a bad or a good pass, they always happen.”

Something great happened on this room. Kucherov was amazed while watching on television.