Ovechkin enjoyed the ceremony in Washington in his honor. But after the game I got sad

The Big Eight pursue Gretzky

This is how it happens that joy and sadness meet, and a person seems to fall under a rain of contrast. This is exactly what happened with Alexander Ovechkin on Tuesday, March 21, when “Capitals of Washington” won the league’s weakest club – Columbus Blue Jackets .

First of all, this day will be remembered for the fact that an incredible ceremony was held in the American capital in honor of Ovechkin, who on December 23, 2022 scored the 802nd goal in the NHL, has outmoded Gordie Howe (801) and became the second sniper in league history.

The ceremony lasted nearly a quarter of an hour. Mother Ovechkina Tatyana Nikolaevna, wife Nastya with two sons – Serezha and Ilyusha, brother Misha in a retro Capitals sweater stepped out on the red carpet.

There were also the children of Gordie Howe, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, vice league commissioner Bill Daly. A bunch of freebies, rewards, congratulatory videos. All the partners went to the reel in T-shirts with the eighth number. Daley presented Ovechkin with a Tiffany memorial crystal. From the players’ union, Ovi received a stick autographed by the entire USSR national team, which was presented to Gordie Howe during the 1974 Super Series. And the puck Howe then threw. As you know, Alexander collects a hockey collection at home, and these rarities will take pride of place there.

And Washington also released a unique doll in honor of Ovechkin. He was received by all the fans who came to this game.

The doll is a Chinese bobblehead with a movable head. Alexander Ovechkin is pictured in a Washington Capitals uniform after scoring another goal. And a counter is built into the stand, which can be changed manually, setting Alexander the Great’s next goal. The Gr8 Chase doll logo has already become a trademark. It stands for “Great Eight Chasing Gretzky’s Record”.

All in all, it was a very bright day that Ovechkin will not forget. But its main ceremonies are yet to come. There may be at least two – when Ovi overtakes Gretzky and when he ends his career in North America. But maybe three or four – for example, 1000 goals or 2000 NHL points, why not one goal?

Washington is unlikely to make the playoffs

Ovechkin went on the ice charged and scored in the sixth minute, opening the scoring. He threw himself, but asked his partner Dylan Strome: “Brother, did you touch the puck there? Where is she registered for me?

I had to watch the replay video to understand. The goal was eventually credited to Ovi. It’s his 820th career puck, 74 steps behind Wayne Gretzky. But today was different.

The fact is that Alexander Ovechkin scored 40 goals in a season for the 13th time in his career. And he surpassed Gretzky in this indicator (12 seasons), with whom he shared this kind of record.

So, on the day of his vacation, Ovechkin broke Gretzky’s record. But Alexander would rather give up the home game with Columbus. The fact is that Washington led 3:0, but managed to lose to the league’s worst club in overtime (6:7).

It’s safe to say that right now everyone in Washington has finally realized that for the first time since 2014 the club will fly through the playoffs. The Capitals have 74 points with 10 games left, but Pittsburgh (78) and Florida (79) are higher with two and one games respectively. Thus, the chances of “Washington” in the playoffs now seem extremely illusory.

Ovechkin: ‘It’s frustrating to have lost’

Ovechkin, after the game, in a conversation with journalists, among whom was a correspondent, shared his emotions from hockey and the ceremony in his honor.

“We got off to a good start. We took a 3-0 lead, but we were able to score five or six goals. And then something went wrong… In the first 10 minutes of the second half, we kind of stopped playing, letting Columbus create a lot of chances. The match became equal, in the third period they scored more. There were good moments in our game, but unfortunately we lost.

– It’s particularly frustrating, because before the game there was such a colorful ceremony in your honor?

– Yes of course. It was a tough game. A special day for me, my family, Capitals fans. Alas, it turned out to be a failure.

– Washington has less and less chance of reaching the playoffs. What to do in such a situation?

“Just keep playing. Try to win every game.

– At 37, you still managed to score 40 goals in one season. It sounds amazing. How do you manage to be so productive at your age?

— I just like the game and I try to show the best I can.

– You got even closer to Gretzky’s record. What do you think about it?

“Of course, that’s cool in itself. Let’s see if we can beat him in the end. But at times like this you think more about the winning team.

Here’s what Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette had to say:

– Alexander Ovechkin at the age of 37 again scored 40 goals for the championship. It’s the 13th time in his career and he’s passed Wayne Gretzky. How does Ovi manage to be so productive at this age?

– His strong and amazing trait is that Ovechkin is very stable from year to year. He has scored a lot since his first season in this league. And there’s not even a hint that he’s surrendering. Alexander still plays fast and hard hockey. And now, in overtime, you saw how assertive he was and flew out the door. This is Ovechkin, his essence. He is constantly on the lookout for chances and tries to make them happen in every game. And he does it very well. But for me, the word “stability” is the main answer to your question. Ovechkin scores a lot of goals year after year.

By the way, with 10 games remaining in the regular season, Ovechkin still has a chance to score 50 goals in a season for the tenth time in his career. So far, the league record – nine 50-goal seasons – is shared by three: Ovechkin, Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy.

So this season for “Washington” is not completely lost. There is still a chance to go down in history.