The Capitals captain is the only other player in NHL history besides Wayne Gretzky to hit 1,000 career NHL goals combining the regular season and playoffs.
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin could see it coming, and it all came together perfectly. The puck, right in his wheelhouse in the office, on a platter. His Washington Capitals in need of a goal with only so much time left in regulation. A power play with time winding down.
Sinking to one knee, he did — for the thousandth time in the NHL — what no one else does better: score.
Ovechkin fired a vintage one-timer past Mackenzie Blackwood for his 1,000th career NHL goal combining the regular season and playoffs, making NHL history once again while also guaranteeing his team a point against the league-best Colorado Avalanche.
"It's always nice to reach something," Ovechkin said of the milestone, staying humble as he has been since breaking almost every other scoring record out there. "And it was an important goal as well."
The 40-year-old joins only Gretzky, who he passed to become the league's all-time goals leader less than a year ago, on an exclusive, short list of players who've scored at least 1,000 goals over their time in the NHL. Gretzky has totalled 1,016 — 894 in the regular season, and 22 in the playoffs. Ovechkin has 923 regular-season tallies, and 73 playoff goals.
"It's unbelievable," Jakob Chychrun said. "I'm so happy for him. Love him to death, and it's an honor to be a part of it."
For his teammates, being a part of history has become something of a routine over the last handful of seasons. Just back on Wednesday, Ovechkin tied Gordie Howe for the most 25-goal seasons in NHL history.
However, the novelty that comes with each new record never wears off.
“Ever since I was a kid watching the NHL, he was one of my idols, and I don't take a day for granted playing with him," Connor McMichael said. "And every milestone that goes by, it seems like they just get cooler and cooler. So it's definitely a privilege to share the same the ice sheet.”
"I don't get tired of it; do you?" Tom Wilson quipped. "He keeps you coming to the rink every day."
Ovechkin isn't tired of it, either.
Even after 21 seasons in the NHL, Ovechkin still loves the game just as much as he did when he first came into the league back in 2005.
That in itself makes what he's still doing so special.
"I feel like it hasn't changed one bit since my first day here in Washington to how it is today. How he comes to the rink and enjoys every minute of being around his teammates, being around the staff and being around the game of hockey, it hasn't dropped off... it's been the same Alex Ovechkin," Carbery said, adding with a grin, "Nobody has more fun than Alex Ovechkin."