The Eight Great Ties The Magnificent One With Objective No. 894
I was making the Alex Ovechkin watch ten days ago, complete with the Washington Capitals captain countdown and “The Great 8” quest (he wears number eight) to beat the legendary Wayne Gretzky’s 894-goal NHL regular season scoring record. With 35 goals this season, “Ovi” was attempting to make history and was getting closer to Gretzky’s 888 career goals. At the time, the Capitals had 104 points and were in the lead for the Presidents Trophy (most points, i.e., best overall record). The chances for Ovechkin to surpass Gretzky’s record were -114, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
In front of the devoted Capital One Arena crowd, Ovechkin scored two more goals and his team-high 40th and 41st of the season as the Capitals defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 5-3 at home last night. In his 1,486th game of the regular season, 39-year-old Russian Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin tied the record for most goals scored by a hockey player with 894 goals. The odds of Ovechkin surpassing Gretzky’s record this season in the Capitals’ remaining seven games were -480 on FanDuel prior to that game.
Additionally, Wayne Gretzky contacted Ovechkin prior to the Capitals vs. Black Hawks game.
Ovechkin claims, “Wayne texted me prior to the game.” “The score was three,” he said. This is a unique moment. It’s fantastic for hockey, DC, and for all of our supporters to participate here in Washington.
It’s enjoyable. Being in that group with those names is always a joy, and I appreciate your support, Wayne. It’s fantastic.
The passion and involvement have been increasing, and it’s safe to assume that Capitals supporters were watching and placing bets on their team both at Caesars Vegas-style sportsbook inside Capital One Arena and on their mobile devices.
“It was really cool to see these fans pleading for it all night, and I think that’s even more special in a somewhat familiar setting [his office].” John Carlson, Ovechkin’s teammate, who finished with three assists, including a nice main assist on Ovi’s power play goal 894 in the third period, added, “the engagement.”
Ovechkin went from almost pick ’em odds to a 5/1 favorite in just ten days, defying the odds once more. Along with player awards, FanDuel’s daily hockey odds offer additional betting choices such as Stanley Cup odds and futures. Ovechkin is now most likely to break the record and score his 895th career regular season goal over the next six games of the Capitals, hence the Gr8 Chase promotion has been removed.
Stanley Cup Odds, Playoff Picture And Key Games Remaining
Capitals schedule
- April 6 – at New York Islanders
- April 10 – Carolina Hurricanes
- April 12 – at Columbus Blue Jackets
- April 13 – Columbus Blue Jackets
- April 15 – at New York Islanders
- April 17 – at Pittsburgh Penguins
Here were the odds or the player to record an Assist on Ovechkin’s 895th career regular season goal:
- Dylan Strom: (-140)
- Aliaksei Protas (+310)
- John Carlson (+400)
- Tom Wilson (+520)
- Martin Fehervary (+560)
- Jakob Chychrun (+750)
- Matt Roy (+750)
- Pierre-Luc Dubois (+1000)
- Unassisted (+1000)
With his next goal, Ovechkin will break the record of the greatest hockey player in history, and Gretzky will be present at every game. Gretzky was at a news conference Thursday night after Ovechkin’s record-tying performance with The Great One’s goal scoring record on the verge of being broken, so it’s important to acknowledge his accomplishments.
With 2,857 points in 1,487 games, Gretzky finished his career with 894 goals and 1,963 assists, more than 900 points ahead of Jaromir Jagr, who was next in line, and more than 1,200 points ahead of Ovechkin. In addition to playing in 208 postseason games, the legendary No. 99 scored 382 points with 122 goals and 260 assists. Gretzky scored more than 200 points in a season four times, making him the first NHL player to do so. During his 15 professional seasons, the Great Gretzky also scored more than 100 points. The 38-year-old owned 61 NHL records when he retired from the New York Rangers in 1999, including 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records.
Gretzky broke multiple scoring records during the 1985–86 season, including an NHL record 215 points on 52 goals and 163 assists, the fourth time he reached 200 points and the only player to ever surpass that mark. He also won four Stanley Cups with the 1980s dynasty Edmonton Oilers.
In addition, FanDuel offered odds on which game Ovechkin will score goal No. 895 to surpass Gretzky’s record, among other proposition (props) bet possibilities. The odds of getting the hat trick and scoring three goals against the Black Hawks were +2200, or 22/1. In the last minute, Ovechkin had a chance for an empty net goal, but another Washington player took advantage of it, and rookie Ryan Leonard scored his first NHL goal in his ninth game.
In one of the back-to-back games against the Capitals on April 12–13, the odds were most likely (+180) that Ovechkin will break the record against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Stanley Cup and Playoff Prospects for the Capitals
With the best record and the first playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Capitals will win the Metroplitan Division. Washington (107 points) is still in the running for the Presidents’ Trophy, behind the Winnipeg Jets (108), while the Dallas Stars (104), the Jets’ Central division rival, are also in the running.
Only 8 out of 38 Presidents’ Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup, and none since the Chicago Black Hawks’ lockout-shortened 2012–13 campaign. The last club to win the Cup and the Presidents’ Trophy for an entire season was the Detroit Red Wings (115 points) (2008).
FanDuel presently has the Capitals at +1100, or 11/1, to win the Stanley Cup. The defending Stanley Cup winners Florida Panthers (+550), Dallas Stars (+550), Vegas Golden Knights (+800), Carolina Hurricanes (+900), Colorado Avalanche (+950), as well as the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers (also +1100), are among the teams with the shortest odds.
Vegas and Ovechkin’s Capitals
To maintain their lead over the Capitals for the Presidents’ Trophy, Winnipeg defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 in Las Vegas on April 3. George McPhee, President of Hockey Operations for the Golden Knights, has ties to the Capitals because he was the Washington Capitals’ General Manager and Vice-President of Hockey Operations from 1997 to 2014. The Capitals made their first-ever Stanley Cup appearance in 1997–98, and McPhee gave the District immediate success.
During the 2005–06 season, when Alex Ovechkin was a rookie living with the McPhee family, McPhee was first exposed to the energy, effort, power, and purpose that the No. 1 overall choice might possess. McPhee, who loves to ride his bike, asked Ovechkin to join him for a 20-mile trip down the Potomac River. After breakfast, McPhee woke up early to stretch, and according to the report, Ovechkin got out of bed, took a Coke, and then played follow the leader around the rocky terrain, setting the pace and displaying his strength and power.
The Washington Capitals defeated the tenacious and improbable Vegas Golden Knights in five games to win their first Stanley Cup in 2018. The chances for Vegas to win the Stanley Cup during their expansion season were as high as 500/1. Alex Ovechkin, the captain of the Capitals, was named the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP and received the Conn Smythe Trophy. Five years later, in 2023, the Golden Knights would triumph over the odds to win the Stanley Cup.
Ovechkin is one of the top 10 players in the league and has +2700 odds to win the Conn Smythe this year. Logan Thompson, who spent the previous three seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, is the top goalie for the Capitals.
With the NHL Playoffs beginning in two weeks, both teams are vying for another Stanley Cup as the top contenders. By that time, Ovechkin will probably have beaten the odds to become the NHL’s all-time top scorer, setting a record that looked unbeatable by the greatest hockey player of all time. However, Gretzkey will continue to hold the top spot in terms of points for decades to come.
