Alex Ovechkin danced round in the course of the ice by himself after capturing the puck into the web as soon as once more.

He was not alone for lengthy.

Seconds after Ovechkin scored his 767th purpose to go Jaromir Jagr for third on the NHL profession listing, he was surrounded by his Washington Capitals teammates whereas followers roared in approval. Chants of “Ovi! Ovi!” stuffed what has been his house enviornment for nearly twenty years, they usually returned after a 4-3 victory in opposition to the New York Islanders that will probably be remembered extra for Ovechkin’s newest milestone than the eight-round shootout that adopted.

“I feel everyone desires me to attain that purpose,” Ovechkin mentioned. “Everyone concerned with this milestone. I might say I’m very glad and grateful to be on this workforce for such a very long time, particularly with these guys.”

Ovechkin’s purpose to maneuver behind solely legends Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howie capped a turbulent stretch for the longtime Russia-born captain and the face of the Stanley Cup-winning hockey franchise within the U.S. capital. Amid his house nation’s invasion of Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin, whom he has lengthy supported, and along with his spouse and kids caught again house in Russia, Ovechkin obtained a short probability on the ice to soak within the largest particular person accomplishment of his profession.

“It’s been robust, however we’re athletes and we simply must do our job and focus in on the factor what we’re doing greatest,” Ovechkin mentioned. “We simply play hockey and revel in our second.”

Ovechkin’s second got here with 4:58 left within the third interval when countryman Evgeny Kuznetsov gained a faceoff to place the puck on his good good friend’s stick. Ovechkin beat one other good good friend in Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov to lastly break a tie with Jagr, whose unproductive Capitals tenure from 2001-04 made him unpopular amongst Washington followers.

The 36-year-old from Moscow has had no such points at house, even since Putin invaded Ukraine final month. Booed at instances throughout a visit throughout western Canada, Ovechkin obtained a standing ovation from Capitals followers who’ve cheered for him and chanted his identify all through his 17-year profession in North America.

Ovechkin was fast to level out his unhappy actuality that spouse Anastasia and sons Sergei and Ilya Aleksandrovich weren’t among the many crowd of 18,000-plus there to witness this purpose.

“Clearly, it sucks when my children didn’t see it, my spouse didn’t see it, my dad and mom, however they’re watching at house,” he mentioned. “They’re glad, and that’s crucial factor.”

The subsequent necessary milestone for Ovechkin is No. 800 —a plateau solely Gretzky and Howe have reached in hockey historical past. Ovechkin wants 35 targets to go Howe and 128 to interrupt Gretzky’s document of 894 that was lengthy considered unapproachable.

“You by no means know what’s going to occur sooner or later,” Ovechkin mentioned. “You by no means know what’s going to occur tomorrow. I’m glad I did it and we did it as a workforce. Now it’s only a time period, and if I can do it, I’ll.”

Ovechkin scored within the shadow of the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup banner with Barry Trotz standing on the visiting bench. Trotz coached Washington to their first title in franchise historical past, and Ovechkin was playoff MVP.

There have been loads of doubters through the years that Ovechkin might maintain scoring like this in his mid-30s and catch Gretzky. Trotz shouldn’t be considered one of them.

“The one factor that I’ve discovered about Ovi over my time is that if you doubt Ovi otherwise you say he can’t do it, he digs in,” Trotz mentioned. “He simply digs in and is decided on that. And I feel over time he’s discovered to coach most likely a bit completely different. It’s fairly wonderful.”

Ovechkin is also three targets away from reaching 40 for the twelfth time in his NHL profession. That may tie Gretzky for probably the most 40-goal seasons in historical past.

“For now, he simply good friend, teammate,” Kuznetsov mentioned whereas sitting subsequent to Ovechkin. “He’s so near us, and we by no means even speak about (how he has) achieved all these milestones. I’m fairly certain at some point once I’m going to retire, I hope he’s going to be nonetheless buddies with me, we’re going to sit down someplace and take into consideration and keep in mind a few of these milestones.”

In a pre-taped congratulatory video message, Jagr joked that Ovechkin higher maintain this up as a result of he hasn’t but hung up his skates.

“Preserve scoring, as a result of, as you realize, I didn’t retire from hockey but and there’s an opportunity I would come again to the NHL and begin chasing you,” mentioned Jagr, who’s nonetheless taking part in at age 50 for the workforce he owns within the Czech Republic.

Ovechkin mentioned Jagr would have been additional up the listing if not for a three-year stint within the Russia-basked KHL. However Ovechkin has additionally misplaced time to 2 lockouts and the pandemic that makes his climb much more spectacular.

Below contract till age 40, Ovechkin at his present tempo this season would want to common 29 targets over the subsequent 4 years to go Gretzky earlier than his present deal expires.

NOTES: Washington rookie Axel Jonsson-Fjallby scored his first NHL purpose and joked about Ovechkin, “I will most likely beat him.” Anthony Mantha additionally scored within the first interval and the shootout for the Capitals, who obtained 29 saves from Vitek Vanecek and are 5-0-1 of their previous six video games. … Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee scored for the Islanders, whose successful streak ended at three. Lee’s purpose with 1:59 left despatched the sport to extra time after Ovechkin gave the Capitals the lead.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Go to the New York Rangers on Thursday evening.

Capitals: Go to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday evening.