The Wild Story Behind Karl Alzner's First NHL Goal & How It Technically Should Belong To Alex Ovechkin
The Capitals alum reveals that Ovechkin should technically be 41 goals from breaking Gretzky's record.
Geoff Burke — USA TODAY Sports - The Wild Story Behind Karl Alzner's First NHL Goal & How It Technically Should Belong To Alex OvechkinWASHINGTON — If you ask defenseman Karl Alzner about his favorite Alex Ovechkin goal, things get a bit dicey.
That's because Alzner's favorite Ovechkin goal was actually Alzner's milestone first in the NHL.
"My favorite Ovi goal is actually my first goal that I got credited with," Alzner smiled.
Alzner, who was among the several alumni who gathered in D.C. ahead of the season opener, remembers that Saturday night well.
Washington was in Toronto facing the Maple Leafs, Alzner's favorite team growing up. His father was in attendance, and the game was being broadcast on Hockey Night in Canada.
"It was a great storybook beginning for me... couldn't have gotten much better in that point of view," Alzner said.
In the first period, Alzner unleashed a shot from the point with Ovechkin screening in front and watched as it made its way past Vesa Toskala. The CBC broadcast called out that Alzner had scored, and the team saved that milestone puck, but Alzner knew in that moment, that the goal wasn't exactly his.
"I knew as soon as it went in that O tipped that, but they gave me credit," Alzner said. "He turned around and gave me the point and I'm like, 'Oh, shoot, okay, sweet. He didn't tip it. Looked like he tipped it, but whatever.'"
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSqmZ8D2Ez4[/embed]
The league never credited the goal to anyone except Alzner, so it stuck, as he celebrated his milestone with family and friends and also picked up an assist in an eventual 2-1 victory for D.C.
Time passed, though, and Alzner wanted the truth from the captain — and his suspicion was right.
"It took a little while, but I asked him, like, 'You actually touched that,' and he's like, 'Yeah, I did,'" Alzner laughed. "'I appreciate it, thanks man.'"
Alzner finished his NHL career with 20 goals and 110 assists for 130 points in 686 games. Ovechkin is at 853 goals, though for Alzner, he should technically be at 854 with just 41 to go until passing Wayne Gretzky.
When asked if Ovechkin would ask for it back, Alzner laughed.
"Depends on how the season goes," he joked.
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