Recently, Alex Ovechkin accomplished something remarkable. He indeed surpassed the 894-goal milestone, achieving the record-breaking 895th goal in a match against the New York Islanders. Despite the Washington Capitals’ defeat at the UBS Arena with a score of 1-4, attention remained firmly fixed on the Russian hockey star. His unwavering commitment to the franchise and his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record in the NHL, which he ultimately surpassed, have established a new benchmark in the sport.

Who was the opponent he scored against? The individual in question was Ilya Sorokin. However, have you heard? This marked the inaugural occasion on which Sorokin allowed Ovechkin to find the back of the net against him. In the NHL, there are numerous goalies who have successfully kept Ovi from scoring, and one notable example is Buffalo Sabres’ Devon Levi. And would you believe it? Levi celebrated this occasion in a distinctive manner.

On his Instagram, the Sabres goaltender posted an Instagram story, stating, “Congrats Ovi, happy to not be a part of it. Thanks for the 4 dump ins.” In a tribute to Alex Ovechkin’s remarkable achievement of surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record with his 895th goal, Budweiser Canada recognized the 28 goaltenders who managed to face Ovechkin without allowing a single goal by gifting them special “King of Zero” beer cans.

Each personalized can can bear the inscription “Zero of 895,” emphasizing the number of saves the respective goalie achieved against Ovechkin while keeping a clean sheet. Since Levi stopped four of the Caps captain’s shots as an NHL goalie, the number four was inscribed on the can. Well, a custom beer—what more could he ask for to commemorate this remarkable occasion?

Similar to Levi, former NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph took to social media to showcase his commemorative can, expressing his appreciation for not contributing to Alex Ovechkin’s goal count. On X, Joseph expressed, “Congrats to the greatest goal scorer of all time @ovi8. Feeling very lucky to have NOT been a part of it! 2 shots, 0 goals.”

Each of these goaltenders received complimentary beers, presented in personalized cans. Can anybody complain? While the celebrations for the Sabres goalie are noteworthy, the team’s overall situation is quite disappointing.

Buffalo Sabres struggle to celebrate as Alex Ovechkin shines amid Playoff elimination

“It’s mixed emotions, for sure. I mean, (ticked) that we started to play good now. It’s too late. But also, it’s good we can see that we can play good hockey, and we can beat any team in this league,” stated Rasmus Dahlin, captain of the Buffalo Sabres.

While the hockey world celebrated Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking 895th NHL goal, setting a new all-time milestone, the mood in Buffalo was far more somber. The franchise was officially eliminated from contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 14th consecutive season, further extending their NHL-record postseason drought.

On April 8, 2025, the Sabres celebrated a 3-0 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, their aspirations for the playoffs were swiftly extinguished when the Montreal Canadiens triumphed over the Detroit Red Wings with a score of 4-1 that very evening, effectively eliminating Buffalo from postseason contention. The 14-season drought now places the Sabres alongside the NFL’s New York Jets, marking the longest active playoff absence in North American professional sports.

Even with a late-season push that included a five-game win streak and individual highlights like Devon Levi’s “King of Zero” recognition in the wake of Ovechkin’s historic goal, the Sabres couldn’t make up for early season inconsistencies. Only time will tell how the team regroups and builds resilience moving forward.