With his signature power and precision, Alex Ovechkin has joined an elite group in hockey history.
Ovechkin became the eighth player in NHL history to score 700 career goals, reaching the milestone during the third period of the Washington Capitals’ 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
“It’s a special moment,” Ovechkin said. “When you get close, you start thinking about when it’s going to happen. Finally, it’s over, so we no longer have to talk about it. We can move on.”
The 34-year-old Russian superstar unleashed a one-timer from the right circle that ricocheted in off the left post, tying the game at 2 just 4:50 into the third period. It was Ovechkin’s 42nd goal of the season, putting him just one goal behind Boston’s David Pastrnak and Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the league lead. It was also only his second shot on goal of the game.
Capitals players flooded the ice to celebrate with their captain, while Devils fans acknowledged the moment with a hearty ovation.
“It was obviously just a matter of time, but that was a huge goal for us at the time,” said Capitals coach Todd Rierden. “Amazing to witness it live. Being with (Ovechkin) over the last six years, it’s been incredible to watch. He’s certainly the best goal-scorer I’ve ever seen.”
Ovechkin now joins a prestigious list of players who have reached 700 goals, led by Wayne Gretzky with 894. Other members include Gordie Howe (801), Jaromir Jagr (766), Brett Hull (741), Marcel Dionne (731), Phil Esposito (717), and Mike Gartner (708).
Jagr and Gartner spent time with the Capitals, but neither of them reached the milestone with the team.
“It’s special to be in that category,” Ovechkin said. “But I would say without my team, family, fans, and support, I would never have reached this milestone. We have to continue to create history.”
Ovechkin had been held goalless for five games before scoring No. 699 against Montreal on Thursday. Before that drought, he had netted 14 goals, including three hat tricks, in just seven games.
“I knew I’d get there eventually,” he said. “Even if I didn’t score today, we still have 20 games left, so I knew I’d get at least one more. It’s a good company to be in, and I’m happy to be there.”
Ovechkin needed just 1,144 games to reach the 700-goal mark, the second-fastest in history after Gretzky, who did it in 886 games. Ovechkin also jumped from 600 to 700 goals in only 154 games, the fewest among the eight players to reach the milestone.
Selected first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft, Ovechkin has accumulated 1,270 points since the start of his rookie season, slightly edging out Penguins star Sidney Crosby (1,256), who entered the league the same year.
Despite Ovechkin’s historic achievement, the Capitals suffered their fourth consecutive loss, dropping to 3-7-1 in their last 11 games. They remain tied with Pittsburgh atop the Metropolitan Division with 80 points, though the Penguins hold a game in hand. Washington will host Pittsburgh, who lost 5-2 at home to Buffalo, on Sunday.
“We’re struggling a bit right now, feeling a little tight,” Ovechkin said. “We must fight through this, and everything will be OK.”
Damon Severson scored the game-winning goal for the Devils with 1:59 remaining, assisted by Nikita Gusev. Wayne Simmonds and Jesper Bratt also scored for New Jersey, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 saves.
“With Ovechkin scoring 700, we could’ve easily sat back and been like, ‘Wow,'” Severson said. “But we got the win, we one-upped him, so it was great.”
Tom Wilson had cut New Jersey’s lead to 2-1 late in the second period, setting the stage for Ovechkin’s tying goal. Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves for the Capitals.
Game Notes:
- Gusev tallied two assists.
- Blackwood is now 7-0-1 in his last eight starts.
- New Jersey improved to 12-6-8 when scoring first and 15-3-5 when leading after two periods.
- The Devils earned a split in the four-game season series, with the Capitals winning two of the first three meetings.
- Samsonov celebrated his 23rd birthday on Saturday.
- Washington LW Jakub Vrana’s goal-scoring drought extended to 11 games after scoring eight in the previous nine.
UP NEXT:
- Capitals: Host Pittsburgh on Sunday before a home-and-home series with Winnipeg.
Devils: Travel to Detroit on Tuesday night to begin a five-game road trip.
