Ovechkin revealed that Gretzky texted him before the game saying, “score three,” and he tried his best to fulfill that request, other than declining when coach Spencer Carbery asked if he wanted to go on the ice to try to break the record with an empty-net goal after the Blackhawks had pulled Knight for an extra attacker.
Instead, after rookie forward Ryan Leonard scored into the empty net for his first NHL goal at 18:24 to increase Washington’s lead to 5-3, Ovechkin played the final 1:36 with Knight back in Chicago’s net. Ovechkin had at least three good scoring chances during that final shift, including a shot from the slot that went off Knight’s shoulder and out of play with 1:15 remaining.
Knight offered his congratulations with the rest of the Blackhawks, who lined up to shake Ovechkin’s hand after the final horn.
“He was like, ‘Thanks, brother,’ something like that,” Knight said. “I said, ‘Oh, thank you for not scoring on me the last one.’ It’s cool to see. I think we all know that it’s not a matter of if, it’s when.”
Gretzky visited the Capitals locker room after the game and took a photo with the entire team. Gretzky later posed for another photo with Ovechkin, his sons and the puck from his 894th goal.
“It’s a special moment,” Ovechkin said. “It’s great for hockey, it’s great for D.C., it’s great for all our fans to do it here in Washington. It’s fun. It’s fun. It’s always a pleasure to be in that category with those names.
“Thank you, Wayne, for your support, for your kindness. It’s great.”
Gretzky finished his career with 894 goals in 1,487 games over 20 NHL seasons. Ovechkin, meanwhile, has 894 goals in 1,486 games over his 20 NHL seasons entering what could be the final act of his chase in New York.
“See you Sunday,” Gretzky said.
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