Home / News / ‘A long way to go’: Alex Ovechkin hints he wants Gretzky after tying Teemu Selanne for 11th on the all-time goals list

‘A long way to go’: Alex Ovechkin hints he wants Gretzky after tying Teemu Selanne for 11th on the all-time goals list

By Ian Oland

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January 8, 2020 1:14 am

Alex Ovechkin tied Teemu Selanne for 11th on the all-time goals list during the Capitals’ 6-1 win against the Ottawa Senators, Tuesday.

Ovechkin scored twice, tallying his 683rd and 684th goals in the second and third period respectively.

It took 34-year-old Ovechkin 323 fewer games (approximately four seasons) than Selanne to hit the mark.

No goal

Ovechkin first almost scored with 3:33 remaining in the second period. Ovechkin dangled around Thomas Chabot and put a backhanded shot on goaltender Craig Anderson. The puck dribbled through Anderson’s five-hole but did not cross the goal line, according to officials, before being cleared away by Senators defenseman Dylan DeMelo.

This is about as close as you can get.

“To be honest with you, I thought it was in but I was talking to our coaching staff and then I ask ref,” Ovechkin said after the game. “They explain to me that camera view you have to see the white. They didn’t. Doesn’t matter. You have to keep going.”

Goal 1

Keep going, he did.

Undaunted, Ovechkin scored 18 seconds later. The Great 8 carried the puck into the zone and, with his tongue wagging, ripped a wrister to the top corner of the net, beating Anderson short side.

AND ONE.

“Of course Orlov make a good play, I take a shot, and it go in,” Ovechkin said of nonchalantly of his missile.

Goal 2

Ovechkin’s second tally of the night came from the office late in the third period. Capitals defenseman John Carlson noticed Ovechkin wide open near the bottom of the circle and hit him with a cross-ice pass. Ovi went to one knee and ripped it past Anderson.

Ovechkin now sits six goals behind Mario Lemieux, one of his idols growing up, for 10th all-time.

“Without my boys, my teammates, I would never reach that number and being in his company is pretty big, but a long way to go and gonna try to do my best,” Ovechkin said, seemingly implying he’s all-in now to catch Wayne Gretzky.

Ovi was asked what it was like to be among all those big names by The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir.

“Yeah. It means a lot,” Ovechkin said. “It’s pretty big names up there, but still a long way to go. I just have to do my job. I think we play much better game today than we play against San Jose. Our line stay in zone a little longer. We control puck. We create some chances. If we’re going to play like that, the goals is gonna be there, not only for me, but all of us.”

Catching Selanne wasn’t the only history Ovechkin made on the evening.

What a GOAT.

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Senators

Headline photo: NBC Sports Washington

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