Together with his two targets on Friday evening in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals famous person Alexander Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record with 894 goals scored. He had what gave the impression to be a chief alternative to interrupt it and change into the NHL’s all-time main goal-scorer within the last minute when the Blackhawks pulled goalie Spencer Knight for an additional attacker.
However Ovechkin didn’t get the objective empty-net objective, with that honor as a substitute going to rookie Ryan Leonard for his first NHL objective.
That was not an accident, and it was very a lot by design.
Ovechkin merely didn’t need his record-breaking objective to return with out a goalie within the internet.
On one hand, it is rather admirable — and never stunning — that Ovechkin needs the file to be damaged towards a goalie. Even perhaps on one among his signature one-timers from the circle on the ability play, or some kind of spotlight reel play that will likely be remembered.
An empty-net objective would take away a few of the luster from the second.
Not all of it. However actually a few of it.
Nevertheless it was additionally an ideal alternative to interrupt the file on what would have been a hat-trick objective, and in entrance of the hometown followers in Washington. All of that will have actually made up for the shortage of a goalie.
However that didn’t matter to Ovechkin, who clearly has a imaginative and prescient in thoughts for a way he needs this second to go. If he goes a number of extra video games this season with out scoring a objective he might change his thoughts on that imaginative and prescient.
Now the Capitals are happening the street for Sunday’s sport on the New York Islanders, creating the chance for Ovechkin to interrupt the file on the street. Capitals followers actually don’t care the place he does it, however doing it at residence would have actually added one other layer of pleasure to the second.
If he doesn’t break the file on Sunday towards the Islanders, the Capitals will return residence on Thursday towards the Carolina Hurricanes. Of the Capitals’ six remaining common season video games this season, solely two extra of them are at residence.
