The 2024-25 NHL season has seen a ton of players who have been performing at their very best and one of them is Alexander Ovechkin. The Russian ice hockey star is on his way to making history in the league. Indeed, he is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s record and is currently 17 goals away after the Washington Capitals match against the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena.

Ovechkin scored the final goal of the session as the home team triumphed 6-3. However, it was no normal goal, as he just struck the puck into the net of the Panthers with just a few seconds left to the end of the third period. And it did catch a lot of backlash, as it was an empty netter. But when the hate came to the attention of an NHL journalist, he defended Ovie with a few prominent statistics.

So why are empty net goals so hated? It’s not just about the goal, but the circumstances here. Alexander Ovechkin is just a few goals away from making history, and the fans have a few sentiments about that record. Indeed, it has stood for a long time, and no one except the Russian ice hockey star has come closer to it. 

However, hate is never justified, and Tom Gulitti on X shared his thoughts on this situation, stating, “Yes, 6 of Alex Ovechkin’s 25 goals are empty-net goals. Just like 7 of Mikko Rantanen’s 26 goals are empty-net goals. Also, 6 of Kirill Kaprizov’s 23 goals are empty-netters. And 5 of Adrian Kempe’s 24 goals are empty-netters.”

All of these are the names of players who have scored a significant number of goals in the current season. And the statistics show that all of them have a few empty netters to their names. Indeed, the journalist wanted to point out that these kinds of goals are part of the game, and there’s just no point in the backlash. However, he didn’t stop here but highlighted one more statistic, stating, “Ovechkin holds the NHL record with 63 empty-net goals. He broke Wayne Gretzky’s record of 56 empty-net goals last season.”

Empty net goals are a part of the game, and even Wayne Gretzky had 56 of them during his own career. While Ovie’s recent goal of his career was an empty netter, the way he achieved it didn’t only stun the whole crowd at Capital One Arena but also one of his teammates, who had nothing but appreciation for the captain of the Caps.

Alexander Ovechkin’s goal left a teammate in awe

Watching a dominant 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers was a delight for the Washington Capitals’ fans. However, it was also fascinating for the players dressed in Caps’ sweaters on the rink, and Alexander Ovechkin’s teammate Tom Wilson had some uplifting statements for the captain of the team. 

“Something special’s happening. The poise for him to fake the shot with three seconds left and put it in with a 10th of a second left… ’cause it’s Gretzky, I guess. We’ll just keep chasing. Pretty amazing to see that one go in,” said the 30-year-old, who has been teammates with the Russian NHL star for a long time. And for him, the goal was just amazing. Indeed, the time was short, but their captain managed to do the unthinkable and steal the spotlight.

At this point, it’s not only Alexander Ovechkin who is chasing that record. The whole team is behind his journey to greatness, and they know the value of this record. Indeed, it was set by none other than Wayne Gretzky, and someone like Ovie is chasing it, which was predicted a long time ago when he was just a prodigy. It showcases the ladder he has climbed in his stellar career.