Ovechkin will resume play when the Washington Capitals visit the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby (a game-time decision after returning from playing for Canada at 4 Nations) at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN360, TVAS) with 879 goals in his 20 NHL seasons.
The sellout crowd of 18,753 immediately began to cheer, though, when Pickard skated to Edmonton’s bench, realizing this would provide Ovechkin with an opportunity to move closer to history. The fans then started chanting “Ovi! Ovi!’ while the Capitals defended in their zone.
On Friday, the franchise will unveil a plaque next to the Washington Harbor fountain in Georgetown where Alex Ovechkin famously ditched his shirt and swam with the Stanley Cup in 2018. Stanley Cup champions T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom are expected to attend the celebration.
Alexander Ovechkin is a real scorer. The great number eight got one more earlier in the day in a 7-3 Washington Capitals home win over the Edmonton Oilers, bringing his total to 29 goals in 41 games.