The stretch run is on for Alex Ovechkin to break all-time goal-scoring record
Alex Ovechkin is closing in on history.
After scoring an empty-net goal to seal a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, the Washington Capitals captain has 886 goals in his NHL career, just nine away from surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s previously untouchable record of 894 goals.
Contrary to the push for a single-season record, one might think trying to break an all-time mark isn’t time-sensitive. However, with the excitement Ovechkin has brought to the chase for Gretzky, all signs are pointing that he could accomplish the goal by the end of the regular season.
With 18 games remaining in the regular season, Ovi has to average a goal every other game to break the record.
On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discussed the whirlwind that has been Ovechkin’s furious pursuit of The Great One’s record.
Tyler Yaremchuk: He’s 13 games away from tying Wayne Gretzky in games played…can he do it in 12 games and set the record in fewer games than Wayne Gretzky?
Frank Seravalli: Unequivocally? Yes. He will do it. There’s at least one hat trick left in him on this chase and now that we’re down to single digits…only eight away from tying. Can he do it in fewer games? I think he can.
I was sitting the other day in the studio when I was in for Amazon Prime’s Coast to Coast, Bruce Boudreau was there…One of the things that we talked about was “Spencer Carbery mentioned that Alex Ovechkin wouldn’t want to break the record on an empty-net goal.” Bruce, who wasn’t even sitting at our table, goes, “Bull—t!”…We have no idea what it’s going to look like. It’s going to be amazing however it happens, the celebration might be even more epic as an empty-netter if that is the case…We got to break into national and regional TV games to see this record being broken. Honestly, we’ve had so many other things to talk about, I don’t know if we’ve talked about it enough.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…