Ovechkin becomes 1st player in NHL history with 900 goals

WASHINGTON – Maybe Alex Ovechkin’s wait for his 900th goal took a little longer than expected.

That only enhanced the magnitude of what Ovechkin accomplished, though, when he finally became the first player in NHL history to reach the milestone during the Washington Capitals’ 6-1 win against the St. Louis Blues at Capital One Arena on Wednesday.

Ovechkin still wasn’t sure how to put that number in perspective postgame.

“Not really,” he said. “I’m still playing, but when I’m going to be done playing, of course, I’m going to think about it. And lots of guys on the bench said, ‘900. That’s pretty special.’

“But I’m still playing, still have lots of games left.”

Ovechkin scored his 900th goal 2:39 into the second period to increase Washington’s lead to 2-0, sparking a four-goal outburst in the period that broke the game open. It also turned out to be the 40-year-old left wing’s 138th game-winning goal of his career, adding to his NHL-record total and helping the Capitals (7-5-1) snap a four-game losing streak (0-3-1).

Ovechkin, who is in his 21st NHL season, became the eighth player in League history to play 1,500 games with one franchise against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 25. That milestone had great meaning for Ovechkin as well, but he never tires of celebrating goals, no matter how many he scores.

“Every milestone, it’s a special moment,” he said. “But tonight, obviously, it’s a special one to be the first player ever to do it.”

It was somewhat surprising Ovechkin needed until his 13th game this season to get to 900. He scored his 895th to surpass Wayne Gretzky (894) for most in NHL history on April 6 against the New York Islanders and finished last season with 897.

But after tying for third in the NHL with 44 goals in 65 games last season, Ovechkin scored only twice in his first 12 games this season and entered Wednesday on his second four-game goal drought of the season. He never went more than three games without a goal last season.

“If he doesn’t score for one game, he’s like, mad,” Capitals defenseman John Carlson said. “No one deals with that. None of us can relate to a quote ‘slump’ for him.”

Ovechkin insisted he wasn’t feeling an extra pressure to reach 900, though. He knew he’d get it eventually.

“Of course, you’re going to score one goal,” he said. “Maybe an empty-netter or whatever.”

Still, Ovechkin couldn’t block it out of his mind completely.

“I think a couple of days ago somebody asked me about, ‘Do you think about it?’” Ovechkin said. “Of course. It’s a huge number. No one ever did it in NHL history and to be the first player ever to do it, it’s a special moment. So, yeah, it’s nice it’s over, and it’s nice to get it at home, so the fans and family can be here.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

How Ovechkin scored his 900th also was a bit unexpected. It didn’t come on one of his trademark one-timers from the left circle or his lethal wrist shot. It was a spin-around backhand from the bottom of the right circle.

“But I’ll take it, and it is what it is,” Ovechkin said. “Sometimes you have a great opportunity to score, and the goalie make a save or you miss the puck or you miss the net and whatever.”

Ovechkin started the play that led to his 900th after Blues goalie Jordan Binnington tried to pass the puck from behind his net into the right corner. Ovechkin batted the puck down out of mid-air, curled out of the corner and slid a backhand pass to defenseman Jakob Chychrun in the high slot.

Chychrun unleashed a wrist shot that went wide right of the net, but the puck caromed off the glass directly to Ovechkin at the bottom of the right circle. Ovechkin quickly spun and backhanded the puck toward the net. It sailed past Blues forward Nathan Walker and inside the right post before Binnington could slide over to stop it.

“It finds a way in, in true 'O' fashion,” Capitals coach Spencer Carberry said. “I think that's among many qualities that he's demonstrated over his career as a goal scorer, the different ways that he's scored. That's just another example of finding ways to score goals. Pucks hit things and get thrown to the net.

“Next thing you know, it's in the back of the net and he's got 900 goals in the NHL, which you just can't wrap your head around that.”

Ovechkin banged the glass behind him with his left glove and stick before turning back toward his Capitals teammates, who piled off the bench to celebrate with him.

“I know it seems like, after the rodeo we’ve been on the last year or two, you get numb to it, but then it’s just — I don’t know,” said Carlson, who has been teammates with Ovechkin for 17 seasons. “You think about it, it’s just incredible what he’s done. Being alongside him for so long, you’ve seen just so many milestones, it’s insane the history that maybe will never be touched again.”

Ovechkin will try to start toward his next 100 goals when the Capitals visit Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN). It will be the 99th time, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that Ovechkin, the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, and Crosby, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, will play against each other.

When asked about Ovechkin closing in on 900 goals earlier Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Crosby marveled at his longtime rival’s consistency and how he’s done it for more than two decades.

“I said it when he got the record that I think a lot of people, myself, probably him included, thought it would be pretty difficult to get that many goals, but he’s continued to find ways year after year,” Crosby said. “To be that consistent and that productive is pretty hard to even fathom.”

How much higher Ovechkin can set the goal record is difficult to predict. He’s in the final season of his contract and hasn’t decided yet if he’ll continue to play in the NHL next season.

Ovechkin has at least the remainder of this season to add to his total, though, and with 900 behind him, perhaps, he’s about to go on one of his hot streaks.

“Well,” he said, “we’ll see tomorrow.”