Washington Capitals winger Alexander Ovechkin scored the 767th aim of his profession on Tuesday evening in opposition to the New York Islanders, eclipsing Jaromir Jagr on the NHL’s all-time objectives listing to maneuver into sole possession of third place.
The history-making tally got here within the third interval, when Ovechkin scored off a faceoff to make it 3-2.
A robust efficiency in opposition to the Calgary Flames on March 8 set the stage for Ovechkin to perform the feat.
Ovechkin scored twice in that recreation, the 157th multi-goal efficiency of his profession. His thirty fifth of the season got here at 13:23 of the second interval and the aim that tied Jagr’s mark got here on an empty-netter with 1:48 remaining within the third interval.
The 36-year-old has been closing in on this ascent up the all-time listing all season. In 56 video games performed, he has 34 objectives.
Ovechkin now trails solely Gordie Howe, who scored 801 objectives, and Wayne Gretzky’s once-untouchable whole of 894 objectives.
The historic on-ice feat comes as Ovechkin’s off-ice assist for Russian president Vladimir Putin has entered the nationwide highlight as soon as extra, introduced into obtrusive focus by his native nation’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Ovechkin, whose Instagram profile image nonetheless options him and Putin, publicly campaigned for Russia’s chief in 2017 with a social media motion named Putin Workforce. Because the invasion started practically two weeks in the past, Ovechkin has commented on it publicly solely as soon as, calling for “no extra warfare” however stopping nicely wanting denouncing Moscow’s actions.
“It is a exhausting scenario. I’ve household again in Russia and it’s scary moments,” Ovechkin stated. “However we will not do something. We simply hope (it is) going to be (ending) quickly and the whole lot goes to be all proper.”
Public criticism of Putin and his administration will be sophisticated for Russian athletes. Shortly after Artemi Panarin supported Russian opposition chief Alexi Navalny in an Instagram put up, he took a depart of absence to cope with accusations levied in opposition to him by his former coach in a Russian tabloid, which alleged he struck an 18-year-old lady in a Latvian bar nearly one decade prior. Panarin denied the declare and the Rangers referred to as it an “intimidation tactic getting used in opposition to him for being outspoken on latest political occasions.”
Nonetheless, because the disaster in Ukraine grows extra dire, many had hoped Ovechkin would use his platform as one in all Russia’s most recognizable figures to take a firmer anti-invasion stance.
Through the recreation in Calgary, Ovechkin’s first on the street since his feedback, he was greeted by some with a refrain of boos all through the evening.
The resonance of the battle was unmissable in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers final week, too. A Ukrainian model of “O Canada” was performed earlier than that recreation, courtesy of the Viter Choir and Folks Ensemble, a becoming rendition given practically 160,000 individuals in Edmonton are of Ukrainian descent.
Ovechkin’s comparative silence was additional underscored by the divergent approaches he and the participant he handed on the NHL’s all-time scoring listing have taken through the disaster.
Jagr, who was born in what was then Czechoslovakia, wore No. 68 all through his profession in sombre remembrance of the yr 1968, when Soviet tanks stormed into the nation to quell the Prague Spring insurgency that had briefly introduced social reform. Although Jagr wasn’t born till 4 years later, his grandfather died between the beginning of the rebellion and its brutal, swift conclusion.
Over 50 years later, as a special Russian chief invades a special nation, Jagr has sought to be a staunch supporter of Ukraine and its individuals.
The 50-year-old introduced final week that his staff, Kladno, would transfer its closing regular-season recreation to an 18,000-plus-seat area in Prague from its 5,200-seat house in Chomutov with ticket proceeds benefiting Ukrainian households searching for asylum within the Czech Republic.
The NHL, heeding Jagr’s name for donations, pledged $68,000 to the trigger.
