Ovechkin returns from injury, reigniting chase for Gretzky’s goals record

The “Great Chase” is back on. Alex Ovechkin scored in his return to the ice on Saturday in the Washington Capitals 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, bringing the 39-year-old within 25 goals of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record.

Ovechkin’s empty-net goal in the third period, the 869th of his storied career, was the Russian’s first point since Nov. 18, when he fractured his left fibula against the Utah Hockey Club. A five-week absence — the longest of his career — followed, temporarily delaying Ovechkin’s chase of one of the most notable records in sports.

Ovechkin already owns the NHL record for empty-netters — Saturday’s was his 60th — but there are no easy shots, he said.

“Every game, every goal is hard to score in this league,” Ovechkin said, noting that it was a difficult month away from the ice. “If you want to try, take your skates and go six-on-five.”

Before his injury, the 39-year-old led the league in goals as the Capitals leaped to an unexpectedly hot start. The rehab started quickly for Washington’s captain.

As the Capitals maintained a spot near the top of the Eastern Conference, notching a 10-5-1 record without their captain, Ovechkin worked to return to the ice. He started skating on Dec. 2. He had his first full practice with the team on Friday before rejoining the roster on Saturday, about five weeks after the worst injury of his career.

Though he lit the lamp in his return, the three-time MVP said he isn’t back to 100%. Even with more than 1,400 games played in his NHL career, there’s no replacement for live action. He needs a few games to reacclimate.

“Obviously, practice is one thing. But in game, it happens so quick. You have to be ready for that. So, obviously, I try to feel how I feel with the puck, mentally, physically,” Ovechkin said after his return. “Soon as the first shift ended, I was like, ‘Okay, I can play.’”

Ovechkin played 14 minutes and 58 seconds in Saturday’s victory with three hits and three shots across 21 shifts. It wasn’t the dominant performance that Capitals fans are accustomed to, but it was a promising return.  

“I have to find a rhythm, feel the game and try to do little things, feel the puck. Try to play short and hard and go change,” Ovechkin said Saturday, noting that he’d likely feel more comfortable after Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

His return provided a lift for a Capitals squad that led the Eastern Conference with a .714 point percentage entering Sunday’s games.

“He’s our captain; he’s the greatest goal scorer of all time,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said Saturday. “You could feel it, like you were just waiting for the day when he’s going to come back in the lineup. You could feel his presence around, and he’s participated a little bit more, and now the day has come.”

In Ovechkin’s absence, the Capitals relied on a committee of goal-scorers to keep pace with the NHL elite. Off-season acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois led the team in points with four goals and ten assists while Ovechkin recovered. Center Connor McMichael tied the captain for the team lead in goals with 16. Veteran winger and alternate captain Tom Wilson kept the locker room steady.

As the season nears the halfway point, the NHL world has turned its eyes back to Washington. If Ovechkin can maintain his current breakneck scoring pace, he’ll pass Gretzky in mid-March.

“We’re excited. When he’s walking up to the ice, people are climbing on top of each other to get videos of him and he’s taking the hockey world on a crazy ride right now,” Wilson said on Saturday. “It’s rock star stuff. He’s the man. We love him in here.”

After Sunday’s game in Detroit, the Capitals return to the District for their final game of 2024 on Tuesday afternoon against the Boston Bruins.