Alex Ovechkin equaled Wayne Gretzky`s all-time NHL goal record by scoring twice against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. Although he had a chance for a hat trick and his 895th goal with an empty net late in the game, Ovechkin decided against surpassing Gretzky in that manner.
Ovechkin`s second goal of the game, which also established him as the sole leader in game-winning goals, brought him level with Gretzky at 894 career goals. When the Blackhawks removed their goalie, Spencer Knight, in the final moments of the third period, Ovechkin chose to remain on the bench.
In a joint press conference with Gretzky, the Washington Capitals captain stated that he did not want to overtake `The Great One` with an empty-net goal.
`I told him I don`t want an empty net goal,` Ovechkin said. `Everyone keeps asking me, and I say, let`s wait.`
Television cameras caught Ovechkin seemingly declining to go back on the ice when coach Spencer Carbery motioned to him with less than two minutes remaining. Carbery confirmed that Ovechkin wants to break the record by scoring against a goalie.
`He wants to break the record with a goaltender in the net, which I respect,` Carbery commented. `He didn’t want to go out. … He told me that on the bench, and I just wanted to confirm he didn’t want to return to the ice.`
Carbery added that Ovechkin was eager to get back into the game once the Capitals had secured their victory with an empty-net goal.
`When the goalie returned to the net, he definitely wanted to get back on the ice,` Carbery mentioned.
The beneficiary of Ovechkin`s principled decision was Leonard, who was playing only his third NHL game after recently signing his first professional contract from Boston College. The former first-round draft pick scored his first NHL goal on the empty net, and Gretzky presented him with the puck in the locker room.
Ovechkin`s next opportunity to score his 895th goal will be against the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon. That game begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, and Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin can expect to face a barrage of shots from his fellow countryman.
Torin Vale 
Elton Marrow