{"id":463161,"date":"2025-04-06T13:48:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T17:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=463161"},"modified":"2025-12-01T20:27:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T01:27:47","slug":"the-gr8-chase-is-over-as-alex-ovechkin-scores-goal-895","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/04\/06\/the-gr8-chase-is-over-as-alex-ovechkin-scores-goal-895\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gr8 Chase is Over as Alex Ovechkin Scores Goal 895"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/gretzwa01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-16_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Wayne Gretzky<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> holds more records than we have time to discuss. However, one of the main ones that seemed destined to last forever has been broken.\u00a0 This afternoon versus the New York Islanders, <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/o\/ovechal01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-16_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Alex Ovechkin<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> of the Washington Capitals has scored his 895th career goal, making him the NHL&#8217;s all-time goals leader. (As a side note and props to 99, his 50 in 39 still seems unattainable). In typical Ovechkin style, it was a hard shot from the top of his off-wing circle. Furthermore, a note for the history buffs, Ilya Sorokin will go down as the goaltender of record. It was the first time Ovi scored on his fellow Russian, in this their seventh-career meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">History. Alex Ovechkin breaks the goal scoring record with number 895 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iVF8ClvCrI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/iVF8ClvCrI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Shayna (@shaynagoldman_) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shaynagoldman_\/status\/1908940156280652201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Alex Ovechkin Scores Goal Number 895<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The history-making goal came in Ovechkin&#8217;s 1487th game. Moreover, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ovechkin <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2024\/10\/01\/puck-drop-preview-2024-25-washington-capitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">entered the season<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> with a reasonable opportunity to pass Gretzky. However, a <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2024\/11\/19\/injury-update-on-washington-capitals-captain-ovechkin\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">November injury<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> sidelined the Washington captain for a few weeks. This put Ovechkin setting the record this season in some jeopardy. However, the captain returned and picked up right where he left off. This goal is the 42nd of the season for <em>Ovi<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now, he stands alone on the all-time goals mountain. There is no one left above him. The once unreachable star has been reached.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The legend of Ovechkin never ceases to amaze. Such as his insistence of not being sent out with the empty-net on the night he notched 893 and 894.<\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Great 8<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/06\/26\/hockey-history-capitals-take-alex-ovechkin\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ovechkin&#8217;s entrance into the league<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> came as a dark time was ending. The lockout that canceled the 2004-05 NHL season had ended. Ovechkin&#8217;s 2005-06 rookie season was also the rookie season of a player who would become Ovi&#8217;s rival, <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/crosbsi01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-16_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sidney Crosby<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ovi&#8217;s first game in the NHL was an early indicator of what his career would entail. Playing against <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/l\/leclapa01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-16_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pascal Leclaire<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> and the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?s=+columbus+blue+jackets\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Columbus Blue Jackets<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Ovi scored two goals in a 3-2 win. The &#8220;<em>Great 8<\/em>&#8221; would score 52 goals his rookie season and win the Calder Trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Goals by Season<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">To score 895 goals, one must score a lot. Here are <em>Ovi<\/em>&#8216;s goal totals by season. Any goal totals in bold indicate seasons where Ovechkin led the league in goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2005-06- 52 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2006-07 &#8211; 46 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2007-08-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">65 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2008-09-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">56 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2009-10- 50 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2010-11- 32 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2011-12- 38 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2012-13 (48-game season)-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">32 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2013-14-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">51 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2014-15-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">53 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2015-16-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">50 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2016-17- 33 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2017-18-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">49 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2018-19-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">51 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2019-2020 (<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/03\/12\/today-in-hockey-history-covid-19-pauses-2019-20-nhl-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">COVID-shortened season<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">)-\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">48 goals<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2020-21 (COVID-shortened season)- 24 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2021-22- 50 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2022-23- 42 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2023-24- 31 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2024-25- 42 goals<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Had it not been for two seasons shortened by Covid-19 and a lockout, Ovechkin would have beaten the record before now. Regardless, the record is now broken. That is all that matters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In addition, for some players, a 30-35 goal season would be great. For Ovi, it was an indicator of a struggling season. He has been that good in his career.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Accolades<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In addition to scoring many goals, Ovechkin accumulated many awards throughout his career:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Calder Trophy in 2006<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NHL All-Rookie Team in 2006<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NHL First All-Star Team in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015,\u00a0 and 2019<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">NHL All-Star in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/r\/rossar01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-16_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Art Ross<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Trophy in 2008<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Maurice &#8220;Rocket&#8221; Richard Trophy in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Hart Memorial Trophy in 2008, 2009, and 2013<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Conn Smythe Trophy in 2018<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The 2017-18 season provided Ovechkin with the moment he, and many Caps fans, had been dreaming about. The Capitals defeated the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?s=vegas+golden+knights\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Vegas Golden Knights<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> in five games to <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2018\/06\/08\/washington-capitals-stanley-cup\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">win their first Stanley Cup<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> in franchise history. The image of Ovechkin celebrating as the final horn sounded is one that many fans remember fondly. At long last, the &#8220;Great 8&#8221; was a Stanley Cup Champion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Final 2 Minutes of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Finals\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5xRu1Vtl8_M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The NHL&#8217;s New Top-10 in All-Time Goals<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now Ovechkin sits atop the mountain, we shall look at the top ten in all-time goals. (Ovi is also the only active player shown below).<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Alex Ovechkin- 895<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Wayne Gretzky- 894<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/h\/howego01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gordie Howe<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; 801<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/j\/jagrja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Jaromir Jagr<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; 766<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/h\/hullbr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Brett Hull<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; 741<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/d\/dionnma01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Marcel Dionne<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; 731<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/e\/esposph01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Phil Esposito<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; 717<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/gartnmi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mike Gartner<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; 708<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/messima01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mark Messier<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; 694<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/y\/yzermst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Steve Yzerman<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211; 692<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Congratulations, Ovi! The &#8220;Great 8&#8221; has passed the &#8220;Great One.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Main Photo: Geoff Burke- Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wayne Gretzky holds more records than we have time to discuss. However, one of the main ones that seemed destined to last forever has been broken.\u00a0 This afternoon versus the New York Islanders, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has scored his 895th career goal, making him the NHL&#8217;s all-time goals leader. (As a side [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3464,"featured_media":464873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[34,2,8245,4547,4548,15],"tags":[2568,3534,491,590],"class_list":["post-463161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-featured","category-history","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-capitals","tag-alex-ovechkin","tag-hockey-history","tag-new-york-islanders","tag-wayne-gretzky"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3464"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463161"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":466188,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463161\/revisions\/466188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}