2024-04-10 06:20:07
Even Wayne Gretzky mightn’t dream of Alexander Ovechkin’s new achievement.
After losing six matches in a row, Washington left the cup zone and found itself in a difficult situation. Now Capitals players can consider every remaining game the most important of the season. But the away match once morest Detroit, which recently overtook the Capitals by one point and took eighth place in the East, was of particular importance. A defeat to the Red Wings would reduce the capital’s chances of reaching the playoffs to a minimum.
At the same time, Washington’s composition cannot be called optimal. One of the leaders, Rasmus Sandin, was injured and found himself out of the lineup. But forward TJ Oshie appeared, having missed the last four games.
But despite a terrible losing streak and the absence of a key defenseman, the Capitals returned to the Cup zone with a victory over Detroit. And Alexander Ovechkin played a key role in this. The Russian set a historical record that even Wayne Gretzky might not dream of.
Ovechkin is the most consistent sniper in history
In the first period, the impression was that only Detroit needed a victory, while Washington had already reached the playoffs and was calmly finishing out the regular season. The Red Wings took 17 shots in the opening 20 minutes, but Charlie Lindgren made every one. His colleague Alex Lyon didn’t have much to do: the visitors created only one dangerous chance, which ended with him hitting the post.
After the break, Lindgren continued to save the team, but the Washington players also decided to help the keeper, turning the tide of the match. At the end of the period, the guests hit Lyon’s goal twice. Dylan Strome opened the scoring first, and Ovechkin scored eight seconds before the siren. The forward entered the zone at speed and with a wrist shot into the near corner increased the advantage – 2:0.
The Capitals captain now has 18 seasons with 30+ goals, an all-time league record. For a long time, the Russian shared leadership in this component with another Washington legend, Mike Gartner. The Canadian, whose number 11 was retired by the capital, was the first to congratulate Ovechkin on his fantastic record.
– Hello Ovi, this is Mike Gartner. I just wanted to congratulate you on your 18 30-plus goal seasons. I know we shared the record for a very short time and I’m very grateful for that, but now you’ve achieved it all on your own. You have many records in the NHL, and there is one more big one that you will still break. Good luck, all the best,” Gartner said.
Alexander Ovechkin / Photo: © John Woods / Keystone Press Agency / Global Look Press
Ovechkin’s achievement is truly impressive. The same Gretzky has only 14 seasons with 30+ goals, which indicates the exceptional stability of the Russian. In addition, the Washington captain became only the sixth player in league history to reach such a sniper mark over the age of 38. As for the main record, Ovechkin now has 852 goals. There are still 42 goals left to score to catch up with Gretzky.
In the final period, Washington desperately defended its lead. Detroit almost didn’t get out of the opponent’s zone, but Lindgren stood on his head and stopped all the hosts’ shots.
“We might probably increase the traffic at Washington’s goal, but you just have to take your hat off to their goalie. He played an incredible game,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said.
But Lindgren might not record another dry match in the statistics. Two seconds before the end of the third period, Patrick Kane reduced the gap to a minimum. True, this Detroit goal did not affect the outcome of the match. Washington achieved a difficult victory – 2:1, and regained its place in the Cup zone. And Ovechkin, who scored the winning goal, and Lindgren, who stopped 42 shots, became the main heroes of the meeting.
The Capitals have four teams left to play: Buffalo, Tampa, Boston and Philadelphia.
NHL. Regular season
Detroit Red Wings (Detroit) – Washington Capitals (Washington) – 1:2 (0:0, 0:2, 1:0)
Goals: Kane, 59:58. —Strome, 37:47. Ovechkin, 39:52.
1712732278
#Legendary #Ovechkin #match #Broke #fantastic #record #returned #Washington #playoffs
