The Chicago Blackhawks lost 5-3 to the Washington Capitals on Friday night. The Capitals, a Stanley Cup-contending team, may even agree that the game’s final score is not a vital storyline to come out of it.
During the game, Alex Ovechkin scored two goals which tied him with Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. It was one of the most insane scenes you’ll ever see during an NHL game and it wasn’t even the record-breaking goal. That comes later.
During the game, Chicago Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore collected his first NHL point in a goal scored by Frank Nazar. Later in the game, he earned his second with an assist on a goal scored by Philipp Kurashev.
Moore and Sam Rinzel signed with the Blackhawks after their elimination from the NCAA Tournament with Minnesota. Now, they each have three games played and Moore has two points. It was important for him to get these confidence boosting points as he is a forward looking to create offense.
Moore’s incredible accomplishment was overshadowed by the fact that Ovechkin tied the record, which was all anyone could talk about following the game. That doesn’t take away how special this is for Moore as he begins his hockey career.
It seems that Moore is a student of the game who appreciates the all-time greats. He was not bothered by the fact that Ovechkin tied the record, which overshadowed his first time being on the scoresheet.
"That was a surreal game. That was absurd." Moore said when reflecting on what just happened. "He's the greatest goal-scorer of all time so I was happy for him, to be honest with you. It was really cool to see."
Moore wasn’t the only young player with a major milestone overshadowed by Ovechkin’s moment either.
Ryan Leonard, who was recently signed by Washington when Boston College was eliminated, scored his first career NHL goal. Like Moore’s first point, not many talked about it as much as they would have if Ovechkin’s record-tying goal had not been involved.
Up next for Oliver Moore is his search for his first NHL goal. His ability to play hard, the right way, and fast will allow him to get that in short order. The Pittsburgh Penguins are at the United Center for an evening game on Sunday.
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