OTTAWA, Ontario — Alex Ovechkin achieved a historic milestone by setting the NHL record for the most goaltenders scored against after he netted the winning goal in overtime, leading the Washington Capitals to a 1-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
Ovechkin’s goal came against Leevi Merilainen, marking the 179th different goalie he has scored against, surpassing the previous record he shared with Jaromir Jagr. Merilainen, a 22-year-old Finnish rookie, was competing in only his eighth NHL game when he faced Ovechkin’s shot.
“Every time he’s on the ice, you have to be aware he’s going to shoot, just like he did tonight,” said Merilainen regarding the encounter.
The pivotal goal was Ovechkin’s third shot of the night, as he capitalized on a 2-on-1 breakaway opportunity after receiving a pass from Rasmus Sandin. Ovechkin released a swift shot that found the back of the net.
“I felt it was important to take the shot quickly because he might have been expecting a pass back to Sandy,” Ovechkin commented after the game.
“It turned out to be a good shot, and it found the goal, so I’m satisfied.”
In January, he had previously scored against Marc-Andre Fleury, extending his tally to 28 goals against him, which is the most among all NHL goalies Ovechkin has faced since joining the league in 2005.
Ovechkin continues to pursue Wayne Gretzky’s all-time career goals record. Currently, with his goal total at 874, he is only 21 goals shy of surpassing the seemingly insurmountable mark of 894.
At 39 years old, Ovechkin remains a prolific scorer, maintaining a record pace that could see him reach or even exceed 895 goals by the end of this season.
With his goal against Ottawa, Ovechkin recorded his 21st of the season in just 29 games. He missed 16 games this season due to a broken left leg, yet he has secured at least 20 goals in every single one of his 20 seasons in the NHL, including during the lockout-shortened 2013 season and the pandemic-affected 2021 season.
The Washington Capitals are performing exceptionally well this season, boasting a record of 30 wins, 10 losses, and five overtime losses, positioning them at the top of the NHL standings.
