It came at 7:26 of the second period of the New York Islanders 4-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at UBS Arena, from the spot he’d occupied on the Washington Capitals power play for two decades.
Alex Ovechkin celebrated his 895th career goal with a diving celebration as his Capitals teammates poured over the bench to celebrate. Hockey history was made. Ovechkin was now the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, surpassing Wayne Gretzky.
Sunday afternoon’s game was rightfully paused and carpets were rolled out for a ceremony. Each New York Islanders player shook hands with Ovechkin. Out walked the Great Eight’s family, league commissioner Gary Bettman and Gretzky, now the former all-time goals leader.
Game recognizes game.
This was the moment that fans had come to see, as resale ticket prices soared in the days leading up to the game.
Here are Sunday’s biggest takeaways.
Ovechkin scores no. 895
The Capitals’ faithful arrived in droves, and the UBS Arena crowd sparkled with red.
Ovechkin was cheered when he took the ice alongside his Capitals teammates, every time he took a shift and touched the puck. The crowd chanted his name: “OVI! OVI!”
The Capitals picked his shifts carefully, as Ovechkin played just 4:29 in the first period. Washington did not get a power play in the opening frame. On one first-period shift, he was sent on for an offensive zone draw, then left the ice when the Islanders got the puck out of their zone. Ovechkin sat near the front end of the visitors’ bench and often jumped on for offensive or neutral zone draws.
When the Capitals were awarded their first power play seven minutes into the second period, it was only a matter of how many seconds it would take for Ovechkin to fire.
It took 26, as Washington worked the puck to his office on the left flank. Off the rush, Tom Wilson threw the puck across the slot, finding Ovechkin at the top of the faceoff circle. Ovechkin caught the puck and slung a long bullet past Ilya Sorokin’s blocker. Ovechkin, as he always does, made it look easy, though this was his first career goal against Sorokin.
Islanders offense comes to life
New York jumped out to an early 2–0 lead in the first half of the first period on Sunday, with goals by Bo Horvat and Marc Gatcomb coming 1:54 apart.
The Islanders pressed early, and on their second shot of the game, Horvat found space in the slot between all five Capitals skaters. Simon Holmstrom found him, and Horvat snapped it through the five-hole of Charlie Lindgren.
Less than two minutes later, Gatcomb caught John Carlson flat-footed and drove to the net, creating a two-on-one. He chipped in Kyle MacLean’s centering pass and doubled the Islanders’ lead.
The Islanders’ hot start was a welcome sight. The club ranks 25th in the NHL, averaging 2.72 goals per game.
New York’s power play, which ranks 31st in the league, did not score on its lone attempt in the opening frame. The club’s man-advantage unit has a 12.7% conversion rate this season.
Gatcomb scored his second of the day just after the halfway mark of the second period, as Matt Martin found him in front of the net, uncovered by both Capitals’ players within striking distance, Andrew Mangiapane and Matt Roy.
At 4:20 of the third period, after a brief review, Jean-Gabriel Pageau was credited with the Islanders’ fourth goal after Lindgren knocked the puck into his net.
Gatcomb strikes twice
Had it not been for Ovechkin, Gatcomb would have been the story of the game.
The Islanders’ fourth-line winger scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season on Sunday, taking advantage of a pair of rare defensive miscues by the Capitals.
Gatcomb had another quality look early in the third period but was unable to finish.
What’s next for the Islanders?
Sunday’s win gives the Islanders 78 points, which momentarily moved them into 4th place in the Eastern Conference Wild Card, behind the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers for the final playoff spot.
Barring a miracle, they will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2022, following a pair of first-round exits at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Following a verbal barrage by Roy after Tuesday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, forward Anthony Duclair requested and was granted time away from the team. Duclair struggled in his first season on Long Island, scoring just seven goals and 11 points in 44 games.
Duclair’s contract carries an average annual value of $3.5 million. He is under contract for three more years.
The Islanders head on the road to face the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, then return to UBS Arena to face the Rangers on Thursday.
