The Capitals captain has one shot that has not translated to a goal at the NHL level -- yet.
ARLINGTON, V.A. -- Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is just 73 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record, and he's scored on just about every shot -- except one.
Out of Ovechkin's 822 goals, he has yet to score any on a wraparound shot. As of Dec. 23, he had attempted the wraparound just eight times, per The Score. The Russian has scored off of wraparound plays before but has usually curled around and unleashed a wrister or snapshot off that initial move.
His most popular way of scoring throughout his career -- dating back to 2009 tracking -- is off his lethal wrist shot. Per MoneyPuck, 277 of Ovechkin's goals since then have come off wristers.
Behind that, the 37-year-old's slapshot and famous one-timer from his office accounts for the second-most goals in his career, then snapshots, followed by backhands, tips and deflections.
Ovechkin is the NHL's all-time power-play goals leader (299) and also has the most shots in the history of the Show, getting the puck on net 6,355 times. He passed Ray Bourque in that department on Dec. 22 against the Ottawa Senators, and would pass Gordie Howe for second on the NHL's all-time goals list just 24 hours later against the Winnipeg Jets.
Looking at his scoring rate, Ovechkin needs to score at least 24 goals over the next three seasons to pass Gretzky within the duration of the five-year extension he signed with the Capitals back in 2021.
As he continues what he and the league have dubbed the "GR8 Chase," he is stressing patience and the mindset of "day by day, game by game."