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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin leaps into 12th all-time in NHL goals with winner against Leafs

Stan Temming

Alex Ovechkin just keeps scoring goals and the Russian is climbing up the all-time list in that department as a result.

With his two tallies — including the overtime winner — in the Washington Capitals’ 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, the eight-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner matched and then surpassed Luc Robitaille’s career regular-season total of 668 goals.

Alex Ovechkin's overtime tally, his second of the game, boosted the 34-year-old past Luc Robitaille on the prestigious list. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
Alex Ovechkin's overtime tally, his second of the game, boosted the 34-year-old past Luc Robitaille on the prestigious list. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ovechkin now has 669 regular season lamp-lighters to his name in 1,098 games to move into sole possession of 12th amongst the NHL’s all-time leaders.

And while the result was heartbreaking for many in attendance at Scotiabank Arena, the shot that ended the game was textbook Ovi.

“Congratulations on passing my record,” said Robitaille in a video message posted to Washington’s official Twitter account. “It’s well deserved and I know you got many more years and many more goals...”

Ovechkin is now just 15 tallies away from tying Teemu Selanne’s regular-season total of 684 for 11th all-time and needs 21 more to match Mario Lemieux’s 690 for 10th. (And since I know you’re curious, I did the difficult math to be able to inform you that 225 more goals ties Ovechkin with Wayne Gretzky’s total of 894.)

Ovechkin has tickled the twine 11 times in 14 games so far this season.

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