Alex Ovechkin seemingly dismisses 1,000 combined goals’ importance in Russian-language interview: ‘I broke Gretzky’s record, and now, I need to break the record taking into account the playoffs’
RMNB • • sports
Key Points:
- Alex Ovechkin reached 1,000 combined NHL goals (regular season plus playoffs) during the Washington Capitals’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche, becoming second only to Wayne Gretzky’s 1,016 combined goals.
- Ovechkin’s teammates were aware of his milestone pursuit, deliberately passing him the puck more often in recent games to help him reach the mark.
- Despite the significance, Ovechkin had a subdued reaction to the achievement, downplaying the importance of combined goals records in a recent interview and emphasizing the ongoing nature of breaking records.
- The NHL traditionally separates regular-season and playoff statistics to maintain fairness in record-keeping, as playoff games vary depending on team success, which affects players’ total playoff opportunities.
- Ovechkin trails Gretzky by 16 combined goals and has played significantly fewer playoff games, with Gretzky holding a higher goals-per-game average in the playoffs.
