Washington Capitals head coach: Ovechkin can pass Gretzky. He sees the goal – and goes there “

“I don’t want to say ‘it only happens once in a lifetime’, but such moments in hockey are rare,” said Laviolette. “And you even pause the game to salute someone for such a special achievement. What Ovechkin has been able to accomplish here in Washington is truly amazing. He had the opportunity, on a night like today, to take another break from the game, seize the moment, make it historic and just celebrate this day – that’s something special.

– What was your reaction when, at the end of the match, Ovechkin gave a pass to Kuznetsov to score and Kuzya returned the puck to Ovechkin to score?

– Well, you see, over the last five games there have been a lot of questions about when Ovi will finally pass Gordie Howe. One evening he failed, the next… But he plays the same hockey. And that shows up in similar scoring situations. We do not change anything in the team game. And today Ovechkin scored a very good goal when he got into the gap. And we were already in history when he repeated Howe’s record. We looked at what will happen, according to what scenario this match will go. And when the moment came, which has happened often all season, Ovi gave a pass, and he scored, ending and breaking the historic mark.

– Did you hang that the whole “Winnipeg” stayed after the game to shake hands with Ovechkin?

– Yes, I saw it, and I can say that the hockey players of Winnipeg acted in an exemplary way. Sincerely, as a gentleman. Or remember how we recently played in Chicago, and how the fans welcomed Ovechkin there, how the players shook his hand there. The Jets as an organization also appreciated the historic moment and wanted to share it with us. They paused the game and paid tribute to the great player. It was a first class act in their performance.

– To you, as a coach, what does Alex say about this race for Gretzky’s record?

You know, Alex doesn’t like to talk about it. I just know how to use his playing qualities. We are focused on the match itself, going from victory to victory is the most important thing. And when Ovechkin creates something good in attack again, the next goal will definitely come to him. In principle, we are not changing our game. And once again I repeat that it was a special moment, a unique evening.

– You injured John Carlson. Is it seriously damaged?

– He was taken to hospital after the match, where he will be examined for a concussion. We have to see how the situation evolves. And then we will understand if he is in good condition, if he is safe. But until the agreement for the doctors.

You said it only happens once in a lifetime. What does this experience mean to you?

“I just said that I would like to avoid such a haughty expression. But again, I repeat that Ovechkin surprises us in every game, every time he breaks record after record. He does something special. And of course, this evening is very cool, when we sit in the locker room after the game, we understand how grateful we are to Alex for making it happen in this way, making us history.

Who could have imagined, for example, that this guy would throw the most shots in NHL history? And he – bam, and did. Just amazing!

And Ovechkin does it all the time. Yes, we still have to wait for him to break the main record. But if he keeps up the pace, if he continues to do what he does, scoring goal after goal, it is obvious that this achievement will not leave him either.

Let me ask you a new question about Ovechkin…

– Well, who else to ask today.

– Are you proud of your player and your team?

– Yes of course. The captain of “Washington” not only breaks records, but also leads the whole team behind him. Just a month ago, we were well below the classic 50% mark. But now, in December, we have significantly exceeded that mark when we have won a series of matches.

We constantly have conversations in the team, discussions about the current situation. So we go out in a good mood at every game. I think our position in the table is not the result of luck or the efforts of one person. It’s a team effort and I see the guys encouraging each other by pushing us to the end.

– Do you think Ovechkin will eventually be able to overtake Wayne Gretzky? He still has 93 goals to score, which is not that little.

— Look, when you see Alex working every day, you know it’s possible. You see how he plays, how he scores, how he works with the puck. More importantly, he loves the game. He has a great passion for hockey. And I understand that it is possible. Yes, it will take time. But he sees the goal – and goes for it.