Along with his two objectives on Friday night time in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals celebrity Alexander Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record with 894 goals scored. He had what appeared to be a main alternative to interrupt it and develop 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 no goalie within the web.
On one hand, it is extremely admirable — and never shocking — that Ovechkin desires the report to be damaged in opposition to a goalie. Even perhaps on one among his signature one-timers from the circle on the facility play, or some kind of spotlight reel play that shall be remembered.
An empty-net objective would take away a number of the luster from the second.
Not all of it. However definitely a few of it.
But it surely was additionally an ideal alternative to interrupt the report on what would have been a hat-trick objective, and in entrance of the hometown followers in Washington. All of that might have definitely made up for the dearth of a goalie.
However that didn’t matter to Ovechkin, who clearly has a imaginative and prescient in thoughts for a way he desires this second to go. If he goes just a few 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 highway for Sunday’s recreation on the New York Islanders, creating the chance for Ovechkin to interrupt the report on the highway. Capitals followers definitely don’t care the place he does it, however doing it at house would have definitely added one other layer of pleasure to the second.
If he doesn’t break the report on Sunday in opposition to the Islanders, the Capitals will return house on Thursday in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes. Of the Capitals’ six remaining common season video games this season, solely two extra of them are at house.
