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Alex Ovechkin beats buzzer to score career goal no. 775 via an empty netter

By Ian Oland

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April 10, 2022 5:21 pm

With a victory sealed, the Washington Capitals entered individual stats mode late in the third period against the Boston Bruins.

Alex Ovechkin, after collecting an unselfish pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov, skated the puck down towards the Bruins’ end and scored an empty-net goal with 0.3 seconds left in the game (or at least that’s what TNT’s sticker during the telecast said). The goal was Ovi’s 45th goal this season and the 775th of his career.

The goal gave the Capitals a 4-2 win over the Bruins, sweeping their weekend back-to-back against two East playoff teams.

Ovechkin could be seen smiling at the bench after the goal.

And for good reason. The tally not only clinched a big win for the Caps, but free chicken McNuggets for fans because the goal came in the last minute of a period. The Capitals jumbotron made it rain nugs as Ovi celebrated on the ice.

When the goal was actually scored, however, took time to figure out. After Ovechkin tallied, officials put time back on the clock before the final faceoff of the game. The TNT sticker showed 1.7 seconds remaining while NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reported that in-house there were 2.3 seconds left. The NHL eventually credited Ovechkin’s goal at 19:58 of the third period nearly a half an hour after the game ended.

While Auston Matthews has this year’s Rocket Richard Trophy all but wrapped up (56 goals), Ovechkin is continuing to inch towards two wild milestones. If Ovi can hit 50 goals — he’s currently projected to score 51 — the Capitals captain would reach the 50-goal mark for the ninth time in his career. No player age 36 or older has ever done that before. If Ovi scores 49 goals, he’ll have the greatest goal-scoring season for any player age 36 or older.

Ovechkin, who sits third all-time in goals, now trails second-place Gordie Howe (801) by 26 goals and record-holder Wayne Gretzky by 119. Ovechkin would need to average 29.75 goals per season to catch Gretzky by the end of his contract (four more seasons).

Ovi’s nine empty-net goals this year ties Pavel Bure’s NHL record from the 1999-00 season.

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