Goalies beaten by Ovechkin & Gretzky share war stories with NHL.com

ELMONT, N.Y. -- After Alex Ovechkin completed his chase of Wayne Gretzky and the NHL goal record by scoring his 895th against the New York Islanders on Sunday, their statistical lines as goal-scorers are almost identical.

Ovechkin has 895 goals in 1,487 games during 20 NHL seasons, all with the Washington Capitals. Gretzky finished his career in 1999 with 894 goals, also in 1,487 games during 20 NHL seasons, with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.

Ovechkin and Gretzky are almost diametrically opposed, though, in how they scored all those goals.

Ovechkin’s “office” is in the left circle, from which he has scored often with his lethal one-timer. Gretzky’s “office” was behind the net, which is not a good place to score goals, but his favorite spot for setting up teammates, contributing significantly to his NHL-record 1,963 assists. He also happened to be very good at scoring goals.

“They’re just two different players,” former Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Olie Kolzig said. “‘Gretz’ is Baryshnikov out there and Alex is controlled chaos. … It’s just two different ways to go about scoring.”

Kolzig is part of a select group of 11 goalies who Ovechkin and Gretzky each scored at least one goal against. It also includes Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, Chris Osgood, Ed Belfour, Garth Snow, Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Kevin Weekes, Mike Dunham, Nikolai Khabibulin and Sean Burke.

NHL.com talked to six of those goalies to help contrast and compare the scoring methods of Ovechkin and Gretzky.

Martin Brodeur

Resume: 22 NHL seasons with New Jersey Devils (1992-2014) and St. Louis Blues (2014-15); Holds NHL records for wins (691), shutouts (125) and games (1,266); four-time winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008), three-time Stanley Cup winner (1995, 2000, 2003); 2018 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame

Vs. Gretzky: Five goals against in 18 games.

Vs. Ovechkin: Seven goals against in 21 games.

Summary: Brodeur played a total of 39 games against Gretzky and Ovechkin, the most of any of the group of 11 who face both. Gretzky scored goals No. 875, 878, 879 and 891 against him while with the Rangers. Ovechkin scored his 13th goal in his first meeting with Brodeur on Nov. 11, 2005.

Facing Gretzky: “I wasn’t worried about him scoring on me. It was more what he was looking at when he had the puck. I always remember we played the Rangers, and he made a pass off the side of the net to a guy in front (Niklas Sundstrom) and it was intentional. It was not like he misfired or anything. I was in shock. I was like, ‘How do you think about doing this?’ When he got behind the net, you always worried about it, like what was he looking at? I didn’t play him at his best prime, prime, prime, but to me, it was more his ability to pass the puck than scoring on me that worried me about Wayne Gretzky.”

What made Gretzky dangerous? “Unpredictability. He had the (stick) blade that was not really curved, so he could move from his forehand to his backhand and it was probably the same velocity. But he was just a guy that his hockey IQ was so much better than anybody else at that time. That was really hard to read. His goals were probably on breakaways or 2-on-1s more than a one-timer from the side like Ovi does. It’s one of those things where it’s Wayne Gretzky, so you had to worry when he had the puck all the time. It didn’t matter where he was.”

Facing Ovechkin: “He was a guy that when we had meetings before games, it was all about Ovechkin. Like, on the power play, ‘How are we going to handle this? Are we playing three on one side and take care of him on that one side?’ And just the brute power that he has, he still has this year. Just the skating, how big he is and the willingness to score. Goal-scorers, they love to score goals, and Ovechkin was one of those guys that wanted to score on you all the time. Just because of his brute power, he was hard to contain.”

What made Ovechkin dangerous? “Just the power. You knew that they were going to set him up on that one side, my right side, all the time. He was like Brett Hull. He was always on that one side. You had to pay attention where he was at all times. The velocity of his shot was so hard and with his toe curve, I always say with Russian guys, (Ilya) Kovalchuk was the same way, when they shoot the puck, the puck doesn’t come really flat. It comes in sideways almost and it comes in really hard, so even though you get a piece of it, it finds a way to sneak through you.”

Mike Dunham

Resume: 10 NHL seasons with the Devils (1996-1998), Nashville Predators (1998-2003), Rangers (2003-2004) and Atlanta Thrashers (2005-2007)

Vs. Gretzky: One goal against in three games

Vs. Ovechkin: Two goals against in five games

Summary: Dunham allowed Gretzky’s 888th goal in “The Great One’s” first game against the Predators (Nov. 29, 1998) and was also on the receiving end of a five-assist game in Gretzky’s only visit to Nashville (Feb. 15, 1999). Ovechkin scored his 50th and 52nd goals as a rookie in 2005-06 vs. Dunham after Dunham kept him from scoring in his first three game against him in 2005-06.

Facing Gretzky: “Obviously, growing up, I was born in ‘72, so in the 80s, I was only 10-11 years old, and I was watching Wayne. To be able to play against him was pretty cool and to be on the same ice as him was pretty cool and to see him up close and watch what he does in person compared to on TV, especially when TV and cameras weren’t as great as they are now, it was cool to be out there. Obviously, he scored a lot of goals, so it was bound to happen against me.”

What made Gretzky dangerous? “Wayne, he could see three plays ahead, so he always had options. I really believe he was always making a play for someone else to score because I think he really enjoyed passing the puck and making plays. I think shooting was the last option. He was so good at reading plays and as goalies we were always looking around to see where he was going to go. So, we sometimes would cheat, and he was so good at picking that up and then he’d shoot it. I think that’s why he was such a good goal-scorer because he could see the holes. It wasn’t like he overpowered you. He outsmarted you.”

Facing Ovechkin: “Alex was a shooter first and he knew how to shoot the puck and he’s continuing to do it. He’s a natural goal scorer. That’s why he’s in the position he’s in right now. I remember one of the goals (No. 50) he threw a one-timer knuckleball, and it looked like a bad goal because I could see it, but it dipped on me. It was so fast, and it dipped. It was like a knuckleball at 85 miles an hour.”

What made Ovechkin dangerous? “He’s a great shooter. The curve on his stick creates that kind of knuckleball sometimes and, as a goalie, most of the shots you see are straight-line. With Ovi, the puck moves. It’s not a straight line, so you can’t even react on a straight line. Because it’s so quick, you’re just trying to react to it. Now, you’ve got to try to pick it up and change your reaction and that’s tough to do at that speed.”

Ed Belfour

Resume: 17 NHL seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (1988-1997), San Jose Sharks (1997), Dallas Stars (1997-2002), Toronto Maple Leafs (2002-2006) and Florida Panthers (2006-2007); Fifth in NHL history in wins (484) and tied for 10th in shutouts (76); Two-time Vezina Trophy winner (1991, 1993); Stanley Cup-winner (1999); 2011 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee

Vs. Gretzky: One goal in 24 games

Vs. Ovechkin: Six goals in nine games

Summary: Belfour didn’t allow a goal to Gretzky in his first 23 games against him before Gretzky finally broke through in the third period to give the Rangers a 2-2 tie in Dallas on Nov. 7, 1997. Ovechkin had two goals in three games against Belfour when he played for Toronto in 2005-06, including one in their first meeting on Nov. 8, 2005, and four in six games against Belfour when he was with Florida in 2006-07.

Facing Gretzky: “It was kind of fun because other guys knew about that, that he never scored on me. And the goal he got was real lucky, too. Very opportunistic. It was a shot from the point I didn’t quite see, and I picked up on the puck about halfway because there as a big screen in front. I just reacted, it was a glove-high shot, and I didn’t squeeze the puck quite with the timing right and it went out of my glove right onto his stick off to my left. Then, he had a wide-open net. So, that was it.”

What made Gretzky dangerous? “A lot of these top guys, they have their tendencies, and you just tried to prepare yourself for those tendencies and be ready for them. And it worked for quite a bit against Wayne, so I was lucky there. Wayne, he would shoot, and he was just an all-around very smart player, obviously, and timing-wise he knew where to be at the right time and make the right plays with the puck. You just had to be aware when he was on the ice and who he was playing with. He was an obviously great passer.”

Facing Ovechkin: “He had a very, very similar shot as Brett Hull, quick release, puck dips and dives and curves a lot. I knew where he was going to be on power play, so I was always ahead of that. He was over there, and you could kind of just be prepared and be ready for that shot and you could be ahead of it a little bit.”

What made Ovechkin dangerous? “He could shoot it hard, just like Brett Hull. Same quick release. He could really rip it and when you can rip it like that and it dips and dives and goes on its end, it’s tricky to stop. Ovi, he works hard, he’s got that shot, and I’ve seen Ovi fight, too. Ovi, he’s more powerful and Wayne was more crafty and a better passer. I think he sees the ice better.”

Kevin Weekes

Resume: 11 NHL seasons with the Panthers (1997-98), Vancouver Canucks (1998-1999), Islanders (1999-2000), Lightning (2000-2002), Carolina Hurricanes (2002-2004), Rangers (2005-2007) and Devils (2007-2009)

Vs. Gretzky: Two goals in one game

Vs. Ovechkin: One goal in two games

Summary: As a 22-year-old rookie making his third NHL start, Weekes gave up Gretzky’s 876th and 877th goals in their lone meeting, a 4-3 Rangers’ win on March 4, 1998. Ovechkin faced Weekes in his fourth NHL game and scored his third NHL goal and the first of his NHL-record 136 game-winners in a 3-2 win against the Rangers on Oct. 10, 2005.

Facing Gretzky: “I go from playing in the Wayne Gretzky tournament in his hometown of Brantford (Ontario), us winning the tournament, getting goalie of the tournament, his now late dad, the great Mr. Walter Gretzky presented me with the goalie of the tournament (trophy), presented us with our championship trophies to playing against his son 10 years later. So, it was very trippy.”

What made Gretzky dangerous? “What I remember is how much he controlled the game, how much the game went through his stick. He just controlled the game. I’d never seen a player control a game like that until I played Mario (Lemieux), who was similar. … With Gretz and Mario and now they’re doing the same with Ovi, people forget the blue-collar grease. They talk about how great that goal Ovi scored from his back, which is true. I’d never seen anything like that before, and some of the ‘Gretz’ goals and the amazing artistry, but they forget those guys also put their hard hats on and were blue collar.”

Facing Ovechkin: “I had already heard because Olie Kolzig told me Ovi was the best player he ever played with in training camp. I want you to think of the players Olie played with in Washington: (Peter) Bondra, Sergei Gonchar, Jaromir Jagr, Phil Housley. A lot of the greats of the greats he played with. I can go on and on. So, for him to say that when Ovi just got to camp, that was pretty profound. And he was right.”

What made Ovechkin dangerous? “You can never read where Ovi’s shot is going. You might know where he decides to shoot it from, but once he releases it, the puck jumps off his blade in a very unique way. It would be like a pitcher that has batters guessing all of the time. You can see the windup, but then the delivery comes and there’s the deception that you don’t know because he has you off balance. You’re swinging at air. That’s how it is with Ovi.”

Olie Kolzig

Resume: 17 NHL seasons with the Capitals (1989-2008) and Lightning (2008); 2000 Vezina Trophy winner; Capitals all-time leader in wins (301) and shutouts (tied with Braden Holtby with 35)

Vs. Gretzky: Three goals in 12 games

Vs. Ovechkin: One goal in one game

Summary: Kolzig allowed Gretzky’s 871st, 873rd, 874th goals in two separate games against the Rangers about a month apart (Dec. 2, 1997, Jan. 3, 1998). After being teammates with Ovechkin on the Capitals for his first three NHL seasons, Kolzig signed with Tampa Bay in 2008 and faced him once in his return to Washington on Nov. 10, 2008. Ovechkin scored with 4:06 left in the third period of the Capitals’ 4-2 win.

Facing Gretzky: “I guess love isn’t the right word, but I would’ve loved to have played against him back in his heyday and seen what he was like. I got him when he was still a very effective player, but to play against him back when he was with (Jari) Kurri and that group, that would’ve been pretty special. I maybe played against L.A. three times when he was with them. When he was with the Rangers, he would set up behind the net, I would be like, ‘How the hell did he make that play? Or ‘How did he see that guy coming?’ He was just amazing that way.”

What made Gretzky dangerous? “This is the ironic thing. I never viewed Wayne as a goal-scorer. I thought of him of a playmaker. That’s what so amazing about him is that he ended up with all these goals. So, with Wayne, you had to be aware of everything because he had eyes in the back of his head, and he was the first guy really that set up the play from behind the net. He had the threat of scoring too, but it wasn’t like he had an overpowering shot or anything like that. He was just a smart hockey player that made everybody else on the ice better.”

Facing Ovechkin: “It was the first game back in D.C. as a member of the Lightning and I think it was 3-0 before the first TV timeout. I was so [angry] I didn’t even look up for the video tribute for me. As the game went on, we were in the third period and I was still mad, but I’m like, ‘At least I can hang my hat on the fact that Ovi’s not going to score.’ Then, as soon as I thought that, he ended up scoring. And it wasn’t anything to write home about. It was just a bouncing play in front of the net. It was not one of his more spectacular goals.”

What made Ovechkin dangerous? “He’s just a bull in a china shop with everything he does. The way he skates, he’s pretty quick, but it’s not smooth looking. His shot is powerful. He hits people powerfully. He celebrates powerfully.”

Chris Osgood

Resume: 17 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings (1993-2001,2005-2011), the Islanders (2001-2003) and Blues (2003-2004); Second in Red Wings’ history in wins (317) and shutouts (39); Three-time Stanley Cup winner (1997, 1998, 2008)

Vs. Gretzky: Three goals in 10 games

Vs. Ovechkin: One goal in three games

Summary: Osgood earned his first NHL win against Gretzky and the Kings, holding him without a goal in making 23 saves in an 8-3 Red Wings victory on Oct. 27, 1993. He prevented Gretzky from scoring in his first three games against him before he broke through in the final minute of their fourth meeting, a 6-5 Red Wings win on Nov. 14, 1995. Ovechkin scored his 18th goal and first against the Red Wings against Osgood in Detroit’s 4-3 win on Dec. 9, 2005.

Facing Gretzky: “I grew up in Edmonton watching him play, so I idolized him. We had season tickets. I loved watching him. So, [getting his first NHL win against him] was a big deal. He didn’t score, which was a big thrill for me. I was 20 years old at the time. So, when you look back on it, that was a thrill for my career for sure.”

What made Gretzky dangerous? “Gretzky was deceptiveness. You never knew what he was going to do. He had a slap shot, which not a lot of guys do anymore, that was a lot harder than people ever gave him credit for. His snap shot, a lot of backhands, very accurate. But Gretzky, a lot like guys that followed him, like Joe Sakic, was a deceptive shooter. … He’d shoot from everywhere. I remember, I believe when he was with St. Louis, he had a partial breakaway and kind of sliced a half slap shot by me. Kids probably don’t even know what that is now, but it looks like he was going to high, and he turns his wrists and kind of slices it the other way.”

Facing Ovechkin: “I didn’t face him that much. His first ever goal against the Red Wings was against me. I was in the classic pad stack. It came off a rebound. And Nick Lidstrom and Chris Chelios were on the ice, so two Hall of Famers. Ovi, I remember he had a hard shot, a lot like Al MacInnis or Brett Hull, with the one-timer. When I played against him, it was a lot about being on the left side, my right, blocker side, with the one-timer. He’d cross it up and try to go high glove sometimes.”

What made Ovechkin dangerous? “You’d have to get way out because he had a heavy shot. There were very few guys that could beat you through you -- MacInnis, Hull, Sakic, Ovi. But the thing about Ovi people don’t really realize is he was very accurate. He knew where it was going. I’ll never forget facing Brett Hull in practice, a very hard, quick shot, but accurate. Ovi’s the same way. For a guy that can put that much velocity on the puck, the accuracy is incredible.”