Finally! Ovechkin scores his 900th NHL goal, ending a terrible streak and launching a Hull legend
December 22, 2023, 06:50 Moscow time
He put Colón on overtime from the “office”, like in the old days.
A day after the home victory over the Islanders in overtime, Washington already played in Ohio with local team Columbus. The Blue Jackets are now one of the most Russian teams in the NHL, they are led by Kirill Marchenko, who recently scored a hat-trick against Buffalo, Egor Chinakhov has become excited, and the club’s press service is already taking photos in Russian. .
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Photo
Columbus presented a poster in Russian with the Marchenko-Voronkov-Chinakhov troika
Washington also traditionally has a clear Russian footprint and, in addition, Ivan Miroshnichenko is now in the main team. However, in this match our compatriots did not stand out particularly for just over two periods. Although Anthony Mantha opened the scoring at the end of the opening period after a shot/pass from Ovechkin.
The “uniforms” recovered only in the 36th minute, when Bemström shot in a positional attack, Washington goalkeeper Lindgren did not see anything due to heavy traffic and the puck also hit Columbus forward Cole Sillinger, who was on the spot.
However, just over two minutes passed before the capitalians took advantage again. Manta scored a double after a great assist from Belarusian Alexei Protas, who is having a great season.
The hosts also found something to respond to, although only in the 53rd minute. Colón’s “Russian factor” simply switched on and Voronkov and Chinakhov organized the goal. Dmitry, out of the fight and falling after a push in the back from Edmundson, found Egor with a pass and hit Lindgren with his trademark wrist shot.
Chinakhov scored his ninth goal this season and sixth in the last six games. After recovering from his injury, Egor feels completely fine and, of course, there is no longer any talk about his possible loan to the KHL. Today, his goal allowed Colón to come back and take the game to overtime.
Well, in extra time the time came for someone from whom goals had been expected for a long time. Yes, Ovechkin broke through! Most of them helped (goalie Merzlikin took a penalty), and in the last minute of overtime, Ovi, after receiving the puck from Strome in the left faceoff circle, accurately threw it into the nearest corner. Merzlikin was helpless and the best sniper of our time began to rejoice like a child.
And Alexander’s emotions are understandable. He did not score in fourteen consecutive games, something that had never happened to him in his entire long career. Talking about the “end of Ovechkin” clearly weighed on him, no matter how much he tried to ignore it, and today he not only scored, but with his shot he gave Washington an important victory.
This is only Ovechkin’s sixth goal this season, but it is already the 828th in his career: 66 goals remain before Gretzky’s record is repeated. Interestingly, this goal allowed Alexander to achieve several more global achievements. Thus, Ovi took clear second place in the NHL in terms of the number of winning goals, taking into account regular season and playoff games. It was the Russian’s 135th goal, ahead of Brett Hull and only Jaromir Jagr (151).
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Ovechkin also scored his 900th career goal today, again taking into account the regular season and playoffs. A beautiful figure that, in addition to the Russian, was, of course, only achieved by Gretzky.
Well, Washington won, Ovechkin scored; Now we can only hope that with this goal from Alexander his new impressive streak begins, but with goals scored.
