Fans across the NHL patiently wait for Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record, tying The Great One with two goals on Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Lost in the shuffle of the news of goal No. 894 and the pursuit of No. 895 is the fact that Ovechkin tallied the game's winning goal, the 136th of his career. This established a new NHL record for the most game-winning goals, surpassing former Pittsburgh Penguins icon Jaromir Jagr.
A fitting stat for the evening. 📊
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 5, 2025
Alex Ovechkin takes sole-possession of first place on the NHL's All-Time Game-Winning Goals Leaders, passing Jaromir Jagr. pic.twitter.com/pfWqDVdpwV
Jagr played with the Penguins from 1990 to 2001, and the former captain scored a franchise record of 78 game-winners. Until the salary cap era, only two players scored more than 50, the other being Mario Lemieux, who had 74 in his career.
Meanwhile, in other cities, Jagr continued his quest for the NHL record, which Gordie Howe held with 121 when he retired after the 1979-1980 season. The ageless wonder scored 13 with the Washington Capitals and 21 with the New York Rangers.
When Jagr departed the NHL to play in the KHL, he was behind only Phil Esposito and Howe on the all-time list. Upon a return in 2011, he picked up two game-winners with the Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, and Boston Bruins while adding to his totals with eight with the Florida Panthers and nine with the New Jersey Devils.
Surprisingly, the only team Jagr didn't record a game-winner with was the Calgary Flames, with whom he played 22 games in 2017-18 and scored one goal.
Now, one goal away from becoming the game's greatest scorer, it is only fitting that Ovechkin establishes another record, tallying the most game-winners while owning the highest power-play goal total in league history.
Over 19 seasons with the Capitals, Ovechkin has scored the deciding goal against every franchise except the Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars, Seattle Kraken, and Vegas Golden Knights.
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Despite scoring more than ten goals against all but three franchises, Utah Hockey Club, Golden Knights, and Kraken, Ovechkin has only scored more ...
