MONTREAL — Once in a generation, a player like Alex Ovechkin comes around and makes you thank the good lord you got the opportunity to watch him do something special.
On Monday, in front of 21,273 fans at his favourite arena to play in outside of Washington, Ovechkin powered his Capitals to a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens, and made history in the process.
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His two assists at the Bell Centre, on goals by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, were points 997 and 998 of his career. His goal, which came on the power play at the 16:36 mark of the third period was 544th one he’s scored in the NHL, placing him in a tie with Canadiens legend Maurice “Rocket” Richard.
Talk about having a sense of occasion.
“I know every era has a great goal scorer, and obviously the Rocket was fantastic,” said Capitals coach Barry Trotz. “They named a trophy after him, and Ovie’s won it a bunch of times. Ovie’s big on those moments and from a standpoint I think he recognized how great the Rocket was, and to just tie the record with him in this building would be really special.”
Ovechkin has made a career of doing special things.
From the moment he entered the league he captured the imagination of hockey fans everywhere.
“He’s worldwide, not just North America-wide,” said Trotz.
Testify.
Ovechkin’s over-the-top personality, his child-like sense of wonder and his enthusiasm on the ice have always made him compelling. The sheer skill with which he operates—and his ability to break a game wide open by doing something otherworldly—has made him impossible to ignore.
And yet, on Monday, his 544th didn’t come as you might have expected it to. It wasn’t scored by deking the pants out of an opposing defender before falling to his back, spinning his stick around his head, and sleekly depositing the puck behind a bewildered goaltender; it didn’t come off a blistering one-timed slapshot from the top of the faceoff circle; it wasn’t off that lethal wrist shot, uncorked from his strong side, rising to the roof of the net like a rocket taking flight.
This one came from nearly 60 feet out—a one-timed wrist shot that beat the man who’s arguably the best goaltender in the world in Carey Price.
“Not many people shoot the way he does; it doesn’t really come off their stick the same,” said Ovechkin’s goaltender Braden Holtby.
Holtby would know, having faced Ovechkin’s shot more than any other goaltender in the league since 2010-11.
He’s also been there to watch Ovechkin terrorize the NHL’s goaltending brethren to take home the trophy that bears Richard’s name in each of the last four seasons.
Twice more “the Great 8” has finished as hockey’s top goal-scorer and earned the honour.
When you think about how he’s done it over time, you can’t help but shake your head in amazement.
“Not every player’s perfect, but what he does well no one on the planet can do, and that’s where—as a coach—you have to praise him for what makes him exceptional,” said Trotz.
In the same breath, Washington’s coach said his star can drive him crazy with some of the other things he does.
Ovechkin will never be accused of being the best all-around player of his generation. That title will forever belong to Sidney Crosby, who entered the league with the Pittsburgh Penguins at the same time as his counterpart, back in 2005.
The two have been butting heads in the NHL—and on the international scene—ever since.
It’s fitting that Ovechkin will have his first crack at breaking the 1000-point barrier when his Capitals play host to Crosby’s Penguins on Wednesday. If he manages to reach the mark in what will be Game 880 of his career, he’ll become the 24th-fastest player to the milestone.
What does it all mean to him?
“It means I’m getting older,” Ovechkin said. “I remember my first year, my first game…it was like five minutes ago.”
Some of us remember it, too.
The bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, black-haired dynamo played over 17 minutes against the Columbus Blue Jackets, scored his first two goals and celebrated like he might never find the back of the net again.
Now, 11 seasons later, having hit 50 or more on seven occasions, Ovechkin is that much wiser and his hair is a lot greyer. His 544th, scored in exactly 100 games less than it took Richard, featured a subdued celebration by his standards.
But he was smiling from ear to ear.
“Time moves forward and time moves quick, so you just have to enjoy every second—every moment—when you have the opportunity and try to do something special,” Ovechkin said.
The 31-year-old also reminded everyone that there’s a lot more road for him to travel in his NHL career.
That’s a scary thought when you consider that outside of Florida’s Jaromir Jagr and Colorado’s Jarome Iginla, no one currently playing has scored more goals than Ovechkin has. Where he finishes on the all-time list will ultimately define his legacy.
“It’s nice to be in history,” Ovechkin said.
Anyone who’s seen him make it is truly fortunate.
