Ovechkin makes history by tying Gretzky's NHL goals record

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin bowed to Wayne Gretzky after tying his NHL goals record.

All that’s left for the encore is for Ovechkin to pass him.

With Gretzky watching from a suite in Capital One Arena on Friday, Ovechkin scored his 893rd and 894th goals to equal “The Great One” for the most in NHL history in the Washington Capitals’ 5-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“I'm still a little shaking and still can't believe it,” Ovechkin said. “It's nice that my family is here, my mom, my wife, my kids, father-in-law, lots of friends came from lots of different cities. It's history. It's great for the game. It's great to do it here. It's special.”

After failing to convert on multiple chances late in the game for his record-breaking 895th goal, Ovechkin will next have the opportunity to make history when the Capitals visit the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET; MAX, MNMT, truTV, TNT, SN360, TVAS).

“I'm so proud that we're tied,” Gretzky said. “I can live with that for 24 more hours. I can still say I'm tied for the most.”

Ovechkin pulled to within one of Gretzky by scoring 3:52 into the first period to give Washington a 1-0 lead. On his second shift of the game, the 39-year-old slipped away from Chicago defenseman Alex Vlasic and received a pass from Dylan Strome, who was behind the net, for a one-timer from the inside edge of the right circle. The shot clanked off the far post before hitting goalie Spencer Knight on the back and dropping over the goal line.

When the goal counter in the corner of Capital One Arena was changed from 892 to 893, Gretzky applauded from his seat next to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman while the sellout crowd of 18,573 roared with delight.

“Every goal seems to get bigger and bigger and bigger,” Strome said. “The crowd was incredible. Everyone knew what was happening and to get the one early, and then just a matter of time before he got another.”

The Capitals trailed 3-2 entering the third period before tying it on a power-play goal at 3:46, which was credited to Strome after Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy accidently knocked the rebound of his shot into the net.

Ovechkin was nearby, though, so many in the crowd celebrated thinking he’d scored No. 894.

But if there was any disappointment when the fans learned the goal was Strome’s, it didn’t last long. With the Capitals again on a power play, defenseman John Carlson fed Ovechkin for one of his signature one-timers from the left circle that screamed into the net short side on Knight at 6:13 for the record-tying goal.

"It is a relief, obviously,” Ovechkin said. “I just talked to my family yesterday and my father-in-law ask, 'How do you keep your energy, your mind?' And I just said like, 'I just enjoy it,' because it's a huge opportunity. It's history. It's lots of attention. It’s friends love it, you guys love it, and it's great for the city and it's great for hockey because you turn on every sport channel and we're talking about a hockey game.

“We're talking about Wayne Gretzky, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe. I think for kids and for a whole generation, it's huge.”

The Capitals flooded off their bench to celebrate with Ovechkin near the spot where he scored, and the Blackhawks players stood and tapped their sticks in appreciation along with the cheering crowd. Ovechkin skated over to high-five his 6-year-old son, Sergei, and father-in-law, Kirill Shubsky, through the glass before skating to Chicago's blue line and waving to his mother, Tatyana, wife, Nastya, and 4-year-old son, Ilya, in the crowd.

He then turned toward the suite where Gretzky was sitting, pointed to him and bowed.

“I'm always going to be grateful for it, and thanks to Wayne (for) how he support me, how he always give me advice to be patient, don't put yourself in a stress position,” Ovechkin said. “I'm happy right now. I don't know what's my feelings going be tomorrow, but right now I'm happy.”

Gretzky had been alone atop the NHL goals list since scoring his 802nd to surpass Gordie Howe while playing for the Los Angeles Kings against the Vancouver Canucks at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles on March 23, 1994. He scored his 894th while playing for the New York Rangers against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden on March 29, 1999, before retiring at the end of that season.

“First of all, it was a pleasure to be here,” Gretzky said. “... We always talk about our game, the players who were in it, from Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, (Mark) Messier, on and on. And we wonder, ‘OK, what's going to happen when those guys retire?’ And along came Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.

“Alex has been so great for the city of Washington, he's been so great for the National Hockey League, and he's encouraged so many kids in his home country of Russia to play the sport of hockey. He's been nothing but a champion.”

Ovechkin revealed that Gretzky texted him before the game saying, “score three,” and he tried his best to fulfill that request, other than declining when coach Spencer Carbery asked if he wanted to go on the ice to try to break the record with an empty-net goal after the Blackhawks had pulled Knight for an extra attacker.

Instead, after rookie forward Ryan Leonard scored into the empty net for his first NHL goal at 18:24 to increase Washington’s lead to 5-3, Ovechkin played the final 1:36 with Knight back in Chicago's net. Ovechkin had at least three good scoring chances during that final shift, including a shot from the slot that went off Knight’s shoulder and out of play with 1:15 remaining.

Knight offered his congratulations with the rest of the Blackhawks, who lined up to shake Ovechkin’s hand after the final horn.

“He was like, ‘Thanks, brother,’ something like that,” Knight said. “I said, ‘Oh, thank you for not scoring on me the last one.’ It’s cool to see. I think we all know that it’s not a matter of if, it’s when.”

Gretzky visited the Capitals locker room after the game and took a photo with the entire team. Gretzky later posed for another photo with Ovechkin, his sons and the puck from his 894th goal.

“It's a special moment,” Ovechkin said. “It's great for hockey, it's great for D.C., it's great for all our fans to do it here in Washington. It's fun. It's fun. It's always a pleasure to be in that category with those names.

“Thank you, Wayne, for your support, for your kindness. It's great."

Gretzky finished his career with 894 goals in 1,487 games over 20 NHL seasons. Ovechkin, meanwhile, has 894 goals in 1,486 games over his 20 NHL seasons entering what could be the final act of his chase in New York.

“See you Sunday,” Gretzky said.