The Washington Capitals and their loyal fans were all geared up for a night of celebration, hoping to witness Alex Ovechkin make history by scoring his 900th goal in his 1,500th game. However, the Ottawa Senators had other plans in mind. Instead of witnessing Ovechkin’s milestone achievement, the Capitals suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Senators on Saturday night.
Ovechkin came tantalizingly close to reaching the elusive 900-goal mark early in the game when he attempted a backhand shot that narrowly missed the net. Senators goalie Linus Ullmark admitted, “He had me in the first period. I’m just lucky that he missed the net. He fooled me, and I was already daydreaming about grabbing a hot dog from the stands after that shot. I got lucky on that one.” Despite scoring his 899th goal against Columbus the night before, Ovechkin managed only one shot on goal during the game against the Senators, as the Capitals were outshot 34-13 overall.
In a brief pause during the first period, Ovechkin received a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd as his impressive milestone of 1,500 games was recognized on the scoreboard. The break also featured video messages of congratulations from hockey legends such as Ray Bourque, Steve Yzerman, Patrick Marleau, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Shane Doan. These players are part of an exclusive group of seven who have reached the 1,500-game milestone with a single franchise. Ullmark praised Ovechkin’s achievement, stating, “It’s incredible. There’s very few guys in this league that get to play 500 games, even less 1,000 games. Now you have him playing 1,500 games for the same franchise, which is absolutely incredible. There’s only a few select guys that have ever done it.” Despite the loss, the Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren found himself in a bit of a scuffle towards the end of the second period, prompting Ullmark to skate down the ice in a show of solidarity for his teammate. Although no actual fight ensued, Ullmark emphasized the importance of standing up for one’s teammates and showing presence on the ice.
