Ovechkin Milestone Thread - Passed some guy named Wayne, now NHL goalscoring leader (895 !!!)

[User9992]

NHL leaders - Points/60 in all situations

1. Nikita Kucherov
2. Leon Draisatl
3. Nathan MacKinnon
4. Connor McDavid
5. Alex Ovechkin
6. Kirill Kaprizov
7. Jack Eichel
8. Matthew Tkachuk
9. Matt Duchene
10. Jesper Bratt


NHL leaders - Points/60 in 5 vs 5 situations

1. Sean Monahan
2. Nikita Kucherov
3. Jason Robertson
4. Aliaksei Protas
5. Alex Ovechkin
6. Kirill Kaprizov
7. Artemi Panarin
8. Brandon Hagel
9. Leon Draisaitl
10. Sidney Crosby


As great a season as you can ask for at age 39.

It's also funny considering that Ovi has always been criticized for being out of shape & unfit. But he avoided injuries his whole career & aged like only few players before.

 

[Firsov99]

How do these guys still have writing gigs

Good question. I think that they just keep some writers who simply shock and create controversies rather than write good hockey analysis.

 

[Realgud]

41 goals in 60 games at 39 years old in a league that seems harder and harder for older stars to stay relevant is quite incredible. I'm glad that his team and himself are having such a good season for him to achieve the record, doesn't cheapen the moment.

 

[Firsov99]

It's also funny considering that Ovi has always been criticized for being out of shape & unfit. But he avoided injuries his whole career & aged like only few players before.

Indeed. I am afraid that Ovi could explode to 300 lbs once he retires. I hope that he'll eventually start watching his diet. He won't be burning crazy calories once he stops playing.

 

[Firsov99]

We were at McSorley's on Bayview last night here in Toronto with two other buddies watching the game.

I had predicted two goals from Ovechkin with the other friends saying 3 and 4 respectively.

The entire pub wanted that hatty from him.

Very cool!

I wonder whether the McSorley's could belong to Marty McSorley by any chance, or it's just a coincidence?

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

 

[authentic]

I have no idea what a soggy Temu is but he's not aging well IMO. He's only 8 years older than me and I was wondering last night after all of the video clips "Damn, am I going to look like that soon?"

Gretzky loves vodka. You can see it in his face.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

I have no idea what a soggy Temu is but he's not aging well IMO. He's only 8 years older than me and I was wondering last night after all of the video clips "Damn, am I going to look like that soon?"

Gretz looks like he's been hitting the sauce pretty hard lately. Avoid that and you'll be fine

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Gretzky loves vodka. You can see it in his face.

He looks like he uses dyes and a bit of a rug/weave/perm to fill things in.

Ah, getting old.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Indeed. I am afraid that Ovi could explode to 300 lbs once he retires. I hope that he'll eventually start watching his diet. He won't be burning crazy calories once he stops playing.

I'm pretty sure Ovy doesn't eat like big Keith Tkachuk.

 

[TheGuiminator]

The goal record really cements his place among the top 10 players of all time, imo. Last year I wasn’t sure, but now it’s crystal clear he belongs there. This season has been a classic Ovi bounce back and he’s just adding to his longevity with another banger year at nearly 40.

It’s not like he stuck around just to compile goals and break the record. In the chasing process, he’s putting up 40+ goals, likely finishing top 5 in goals once again, and possibly hitting his 10th 50-goal season if he plays all the games. Honestly, this is arguably the best age 39 season we’ve ever seen, especially in today’s young man’s league.

This season is simply historic and absolutely moves the needle in Ovechkin’s all-time ranking.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

I think Ovy breaks the record tomorrow against the Isles. I hope they have a well planned out ceremony for him.

 

[Strangle]

41 goals in 60 games at 39 years old in a league that seems harder and harder for older stars to stay relevant is quite incredible. I'm glad that his team and himself are having such a good season for him to achieve the record, doesn't cheapen the moment.

This is the really fortunate thing here. We can all unabashedly celebrate this with Ovechkin as fans with no legit argument or detraction against.

Ovechkin is doing this like the legend he is, and his team is winning which takes away the argument that the team is just there to serve the goal chase.

Everything about this is just so pure and such a great sports moment. I can’t get over how happy I am over the circumstances around this

He’s going to do it in less games than Gretzky, he’s not hanging around to compile goals and the team is winning.

I use hockey reference compare feature A LOT, this is the first time in my life I have ever run a compare against Wayne Gretzky. That alone is just simply shocking. There is no other player in the league you’d ever need to compare to Gretzky for any reason. No one but ovie

Wayne Gretzky vs. Alex Ovechkin: Head-to-Head Stats Comparison | Stathead.com

Compare Players: Check out the head-to-head stats of Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin including their awards, honors, championships, playoff and regular season stats, and much more on Stathead.com

stathead.com

 

[User9992]

Gretzky loves vodka. You can see it in his face.

Gretzky's origins are from Eastern Europe: Belarus, Ukraine, Poland etc.

Of course he loves Vodka!

 

[BallardEra]

Very cool!

I wonder whether the McSorley's could belong to Marty McSorley by any chance, or it's just a coincidence?

Good question. It opened up in 1991. Another bar north of there called "The Originals" shut down during COVID.

I'd regularly see Gilmour, Tucker and Kypreos there back in the day.

Kypreos used to go to my gym and I knew his personal trainer. One time I saw him with his family at "Duff's Wings" on Bayview and I told his trainer.

Kipper kept asking him "who told you I was having wings today?"

 

[oilexport]

Whomever the goalie is for the islanders may become a part of history. He should just blow the first shoot from Ovi.

 

[AD1066]

I'm pretty sure Ovy doesn't eat like big Keith Tkachuk.

I'm not so sure about that. His eating habits have been the subject of numerous articles, and not in the healthy MacKinnon sense. And on Spittin' Chiclets a few years back, Orpik described him as a "farm animal". Which to me, just adds to the legend.

Alex Ovechkin’s ‘borderline inspiring’ diet includes gas station sub AND Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

Alex Ovechkin's diet has always amazed teammates, including Brooks Orpik who once famously called it "borderline inspiring." Now another one of his…

russianmachineneverbreaks.com

'Mama Luccia! Mama Luccia!' | By Brooks Orpik

It’s funny. Everyone is asking us about change. Now that we beat Pittsburgh all the talk is, “What did you guys do differently?”

www.theplayerstribune.com

 

[WarriorofTime]

I think at this point the goals will come, the only question is how ugly it will get in terms of hurting his team in the end.


At some point the race for Gretzky's record is going to hurt even more than it does right now.

Crazy how wrong this guy... who spent multiple years screaming about Ovechkin hurting team, how bad of a player he had become, how the Capitals were selling out their entire Franchise to get Ovechkin the record... was on everything.

Here we are, Ovechkin not just limping to the record but smashing through it, 3rd in the League in Goals in 2024-25, well over a point per game, captaining his team to 1st place in the Eastern Conference.

Guy spent multiple years across multiple threads planting his flag that Ovechkin was terrible and it would be an ugly push to get to 900.

Truly an HFBoards history-making collection of "L's". Remarkable stuff.

 

[kugelbahn]

Wane Gretzky: “Happy for Alex. My grandfather was Russian, he’d be really happy that a Russian broke my record. So, good for Alex.”

Wayne Gretzky, after shunning spotlight, speaks out on Alex Ovechkin’s record chase

Gretzky was in attendance Friday as Ovechkin tied his goals record.

www.nytimes.com

Ancestry is funny thing, mine varies from Russian, to Baltics (Lithuanian), to Balkan (Slovenian), from different DNA websites giving completely different proportions with time...

 

[SML2]

I guess I have to admit this is happening.

I don't like Ovi. But I don't dislike him any more than I dislike non-Ranger players. I don't like players who aren't on my team. The only one I can think of that I really liked despite that is prime Wendel Clark. I loved that guy.

I was in the building the day he was drafted #1 by the Caps. My brother and I snuck on a bus driving prospects from our hotel to the arena and the last stop before the arena was to another hotel where they picked up Ovi, his brother and his parents. They sat down right in front of us, and Ovi's brother had a video camera and was making a video of Ovi and his parents speaking about the day in Russian. If that video ever comes out, you will see two guys who have NO business being on that bus seated right behind them. I swear on my kids that's all 100% true.

I took the under. I didn't think he'd get there. I bet on age and wear and tear.

I lost.

He's unreal. Nobody expects a guy his age to pop 40 goals in 60 games. If you took the names out of the equation and get Vegas odds on a player doing that, what do you think the chances are? 10%? 5%?

Ovi is a rare breed.

What sets him apart is not world class skill. This is the NHL. It's where world class players play.
What sets him apart is the same thing that set Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky apart from all the others. They never had a significant injury and played a long time. That allowed them to consistently put numbers on the board.

SO a player that comes in today would have to rope together 20 45 goal seasons in a row to come close to where we are at.

It's almost impossible.

You would need to:
Break into the league early
become a dominant player immediately.
Not get hurt, ever.
No lockouts/pandemics, etc.
Play on a team that is contender level for nearly 20 years

All that goes to show just what an accomplishment it is.


Hats off Ovi. You're the man. I was wrong about you. I am here to eat my crow. If it tastes like chicken, can I have it fried? I do like some fried chicken.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Crazy, never thought I’d see this

 

[Firsov99]

I'm pretty sure Ovy doesn't eat like big Keith Tkachuk.

Ovi eats cheetos and pizza and washes it down with soda on game days. Breakfast of Champions!

 

[Firsov99]

Good question. It opened up in 1991. Another bar north of there called "The Originals" shut down during COVID.

I'd regularly see Gilmour, Tucker and Kypreos there back in the day.

Kypreos used to go to my gym and I knew his personal trainer. One time I saw him with his family at "Duff's Wings" on Bayview and I told his trainer.

Kipper kept asking him "who told you I was having wings today?"

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing and a good laugh.

 

[Nice]

Top 3 in goals the same year he broke his fibula at 39. Absolutely wild

 

[895]

I can’t believe Ovechkin had a post game beer. Trade him to LA for Phillip Danault immediately !