Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates his third goal and hat trick against the … More Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on November 17, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
NHLI via Getty Images
Just 10 days ago I was preparing the Alex Ovechkin watch with the Washington Capitals captain countdown and “The Great 8” chase (he wears No. 8) to catch the great Wayne Gretzky’s NHL regular season scoring record of 894 goals. At the time, the Capitals had 104 points and were leading the chase for the Presidents Trophy (most points, i.e. best overall record), and “Ovi” was chasing history with 35 goals this season and closing in on Gretzky with 888 career goals. FanDuel Sportsbook’s odds of Ovechkin breaking Gretzky’s record were -114.
Last night the Capitals beat the Chicago Black Hawks at home 5-3 and Ovechkin deposit two more goals and his team-high 40th and 41st of the season in front of the faithful fans at Capital One Arena. The 39-year-old Russian Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin reached 894 career goals in his 1,486th career regular season game to tie the greatest hockey players goal scoring record. Ahead of that game, FanDuel’s odds of Ovechkin breaking Gretzky’s record this season in the Capitals final seven games were -480.
Also, Wayne Gretzky attended the Capitals-Black Hawks game, and reached out to Ovechkin ahead of the contest.
“Wayne texted me before the game,” says Ovechkin. “He said, ‘Score three.’ It’s a special moment. It’s great for hockey, great for DC, great for all our fans to do it here in Washington.
“It’s fun. It’s always a pleasure to be in that category with those names, and thank you Wayne, for your support. It’s great.”
The engagement and excitement has been building, and you can bet Capitals fans were watching and wagering on their team from their mobile devices and at Caesars Vegas-style sportsbook inside Capital One Arena.
“I think that’s even more special in somewhat of a familiar place [his office], and also just in front of these fans that were begging for it all night, which was pretty cool to see. the engagement,” added Ovechkin’s teammate John Carlson, who had three assists, including a pretty primary helper on Ovi’s power play goal 894 in the third period.
So in 10 days, Ovechkin defied the odds again, going from nearly pick ‘em odds to a 5/1 favorite. FanDuel’s daily hockey odds include other betting options like Stanley Cup odds and futures along with player awards. But the Gr8 Chase promotion has been taken down as Ovechkin is now most likely to break the record and score his 895th career regular season goal over the Capitals final six games.
Stanley Cup Odds, Playoff Picture And Key Games Remaining
Capitals schedule
- April 6 – at New York Islanders
- April 10 – Carolina Hurricanes
- April 12 – at Columbus Blue Jackets
- April 13 – Columbus Blue Jackets
- April 15 – at New York Islanders
- April 17 – at Pittsburgh Penguins
Here were the odds or the player to record an Assist on Ovechkin’s 895th career regular season goal:
- Dylan Strom: (-140)
- Aliaksei Protas (+310)
- John Carlson (+400)
- Tom Wilson (+520)
- Martin Fehervary (+560)
- Jakob Chychrun (+750)
- Matt Roy (+750)
- Pierre-Luc Dubois (+1000)
- Unassisted (+1000)
Gretzky will be at each game as Ovechkin now takes the ice with his next goal breaking the record of the undisputed greatest hockey player in history. It’s worth recognizing Gretzky’s accomplishments as he was at a press conference Thursday night following Ovechkin’s record-tying night with The Great One’s goal scoring record on the brink of being broken.
Gretzky scored 894 goals and added 1,963 assists in finish his career with 2,857 pionts in 1,487 games – more than 900 points ahead of the next closest Jaromir Jagr, and more than 1,200 points ahead of Ovechkin. The great No. 99 also played in 208 playoff games and totaled 122 goals and 260 assists for an additional 382 points. Gretzky is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. The Great Gretzky also tallied over 100 points in 15 professional seasons. At the time of his retirement in 1999 with the New York Rangers, the 38-year-old held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records.
Gretzky won four Stanley Cup’s with the 1980’s dynasty Edmonton Oilers while setting numerous scoring records including a NHL record 215 points on 52 goals and 163 assists during the 1985-86 season – the fourth time he reached 200 points and the only player to ever eclipse that total.
FanDuel had other proposition (props) bet offerings including odds on which game Ovechkin would score goal No. 895 to break Gretzky’s record. It was +2200, or 22/1 to get the hat trick and score three goals against the Black Hawks. Ovechkin nearly pulled it off with a chance in the closing minute for an empty net goal, which another Washington player capitalized on with rookie Ryan Leonard scoring his first NHL goal in his ninth game.
The odds were most likely (+180) that Ovechkin would break the record against the Columbus Blue Jackets in one of the back-to-back games against the Capitals April 12-13.
Capitals Playoff Picture And Stanley Cup
The Capitals are going to win the Metroplitan Division with the best record and No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Washington (107 points) is still in the chase for the Presidents’ Trophy trailing the Winnipeg Jets (108) with the Jets Central division opponent Dallas Stars (104) also in the race.
Only 8-of-38 Presidents’ Trophy winners have gone on to win the Stanley Cup, and none since the 2012-13 Chicago Black Hawks in a season cut short by a lockout. The Detroit Red Wings (115 points) are the last team to win the Presidents’ Trophy over a full season and capture the Cup (2008).
The Capitals are currently +1100, or 11/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup, according to FanDuel. Teams with shorter odds include the defending Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers (+550), Dallas Stars (+550), Vegas Golden Knights (+800), Carolina Hurricanes (+900), Colorado Avalanche (+950) plus the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers also +1100.
Ovechkin’s Capitals Ties To Vegas
Winnipeg beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 April 3 in Las Vegas to stay in front of the Capitals for the Presidents’ Trophy. Golden Knights President of Hockey Operations George McPhee has ties to the Capitals as he served as General Manager and Vice-President of Hockey Operations for the Washington Capitals from 1997 to 2014. McPhee delivered instant success to the District in 1997–98 with the Capitals making their first-ever Stanley Cup appearance.
McPhee’s introduction to the energy, effort, power and purpose Alex Ovechkin could possess took place during the 2005–06 season, when the No. 1 overall pick was living with the McPhee family as a rookie. An avid cyclist, McPhee invited Ovechkin along for a 20-mile ride along the Potomac River. McPhee was up early stretching after breakfast while story told that Ovechkin got out of bed, had a coke and then proceeded to play follow the leader along the hilly terrain with Ovechkin showing his power and strength while setting the pace.
In 2018, the Washington Capitals won their first Stanley Cup, defeating the against all odds and valiant Vegas Golden Knights in five games. Vegas was as high as 500/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup in their expansion season. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP. The Golden Knights would overcome the odds to win the 2023 Stanley Cup five years later.
Ovechkin’s odds to win the Conn Smythe this year are +2700 and among the top 10 players in the league. The Capitals top goalie is Logan Thompson, who played the previous three seasons for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Both teams are chasing another Stanley Cup as top contenders with the NHL Playoffs starting in two weeks. By then, Ovechkin will likely have overcome the odds to become the NHL’s all-time goal scoring leader with a goal scoring record that once seemed untouchable by the greatest hockey player of all-time. But Gretzkey’s points record will remain securely on top for(ever) and decades ahead.
You can bet on it.
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