The Capitals played the Islanders at UBS Arena at 12:30 PM, and the milestone tally came about an hour before Pittsburgh’s first bus time ahead of its 6 PM matchup in Chicago. So, the Penguins were able to watch as Ovechkin blasted one home on the power play.

The game was stopped for a 15-minute ceremony to commemorate Ovechkin’s achievement, which Crosby and Malkin thought was a tremendous gesture.

“Pretty cool historical moment and a pretty cool moment for hockey in general, so it was cool to see. The celebration, the ceremony, it was nice,” Crosby said.

“I loved the celebration today,” Malkin agreed. “Probably both countries, Russia and the U.S., are watching this game. It’s huge. It’s huge.”

Both players reached out to congratulate Ovechkin, though Malkin joked he’s not really expecting a response at this point.

“Now, he has a thousand messages, probably,” Malkin said with a laugh. “But I sent a message before the game, saying congrats, and amazing game for Russian hockey.”

Crosby had also texted Ovechkin when he tied the record on Friday against the Blackhawks, as the two tend to get in touch around major milestones – and this one is the biggest of them all.

“That’s a pretty special moment. Then playing at the same time, you think of how long hockey history is, how long the game’s been around – and to be playing at a time when he gets a record like that is special,” Crosby said. “I think we’re all fortunate to maybe not be in the game, but to be around while he’s doing it.”

That’s how the hockey world feels about Crosby and Ovechkin in particular, as they’ve been one of the league’s best-ever rivalries. Crosby and Ovechkin have had to go through each other to win their four combined Stanley Cups, with the dueling hat tricks in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals the stuff of legend. Crosby actually referenced that night on Saturday after he and Dallas’ Evgenii Dadonov each scored three goals.

“I mean, it’s pretty rare that you go head-to-head like that. End up being in the same division, coming in with those kinds of expectations and the playoff series and everything that goes along with it… it’s unique, and I definitely appreciate it, and that’s something that is great for the game of hockey,” Crosby said. “But it’s something that I think there’s mutual respect there as well.”

Especially as they’ve progressed along in their careers, with Crosby saying he appreciates their shared history more and more with every year. Ovechkin has said he would love to sit down with Crosby after they retire to have a couple of beers and talk about everything that’s transpired, saying “I think it’s great for hockey, for previous generations, and future generations to see the kind of comparisons, the kind of battles between the two of us, the two organizations… I think it’s great for the game.”

But with these two, retirement doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon. While Crosby is 37, Ovechkin is 39 and both have heads full of gray hair, they continue to play extraordinary hockey. Before Ovechkin set this monumental record, Crosby surpassed Gretzky for the most point-per-game seasons in NHL history with 20, a feat that teammates past and present found it difficult to wrap their heads around.

Malkin posted a photo on his Instagram of him and Ovechkin as teenagers, saying those kids would never have believed a day like this would come. Even as recently as a couple of years ago, Malkin still wasn’t sure. Now, he couldn’t be happier for his countryman, as their relationship has also grown extremely strong.

The two of them had dinner together in Miami over the 4 Nations Break, and Malkin joked that he tried to ask Ovechkin about The Gr8 Chase, “But he doesn’t want to talk too much. He wants to just enjoy it.” That’s part of what makes Ovechkin so unique, in Malkin’s opinion.

“He loves hockey so much. This guy, he’s not a typical player,” Malkin said. “He does not work out every day. He does not eat healthy. But he just loves hockey, and we see what’s going on, like every year, probably not a lot guys believe this year he will break the record. Maybe next year, you know? But in 60 games, he’s scored 42 goals already? It’s huge.

“He’s a great player and I hope he has no injuries, stays healthy and maybe he scores 900 goals.”