Washington Capitals fans—and hockey fans across the league—just witnessed history. Alex Ovechkin has officially surpassed Wayne Gretzky, scoring his 895th NHL goal to claim the top spot on the all-time scoring list. After such a monumental achievement, it’s only fitting to take a trip down memory lane and revisit how many goals Ovi scored against Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins, Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers, and Patrick Kane during his stints with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings.
It was a long journey to immortality, but after claiming the crown for the best goalscorer in NHL history, it’s safe to say it was well worth the wait for Ovechkin. Amid a tremendous campaign with the Capitals, the 39-year-old star topped it off with an unbelievable individual achievement, just in time to shift his full focus to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As the Capitals prepare for the postseason, Ovechkin will aim to close the gap on some of Gretzky’s other impressive records. Most notably, he’ll hope to cut The Great One’s lead in Stanley Cup victories in half by hoisting his second championship during the 2024-25 season.
However, there will be time for that. Right now, Ovechkin is relishing the unprecedented high of cementing his name atop perhaps the most significant individual record in NHL history. Throughout his career, he has always risen to the occasion when the lights shined brightest. That’s why his personal stat lines against other 21st-century greats like Crosby, McDavid, and Kane are worth highlighting.
Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck in the third period during the game against the New York Rangers at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 23, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ovechkin’s career goals vs Crosby’s Penguins
The greatest players of this generation have spent their entire careers in the same division, leading to countless showdowns each season and a legendary rivalry in the league. For NHL fans, it’s been a treat—witnessing historic playoff battles and electrifying regular-season matchups that often carried the intensity of a Stanley Cup Final.
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Though Crosby’s Penguins have often had the upper hand against Ovechkin’s Capitals, the Russian goal machine never failed to strike fear into Pittsburgh’s goaltenders. Ovechkin and Crosby have faced each other in 72 regular season games during their careers, with their 73rd encounter taking place during the final game of the season. Though Ovechkin could be inactive in hopes of keeping him ready for the playoffs.
Ovechkin has netted 37 goals in 72 games against the Penguins with Crosby in the lineup, according to NHL.com. Overall, the Capitals’ captain has recorded 42 goals in 79 matchups against Pittsburgh, regardless of whether ‘Sid the Kid’ was on the ice. Crosby has scored 32 times when facing Ovi.
Goals vs McDavid’s Oilers
Although McDavid hasn’t been around for as long as Ovechkin and Crosby, and the Oilers don’t share a division with the Capitals, they have faced-off against each other in several ocassions.
Connor McDavid, 97 of the Edmonton Oilers, skatesagainst the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on March 14, 2025 in Elmont, New York.
Ovechkin registers 17 career goals against Edmonton in his NHL career. However, since McDavid made his debut in the 2015-16 season, Alex Ovechkin has scored total of 12 goals in 17 regular season games against the Oilers. McDavid, on the other hand, has scored 9 times against Ovi’s Capitals, via Statmuse.
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Goals against ‘Showtime’ Kane
Unlike McDavid and Crosby, Patrick Kane has changed teams multiple times in the NHL, yet his path has consistently crossed with Ovechkin’s, for better or worse.
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In their head-to-head matchups, Ovechkin has found the net 14 times—12 of those goals came against Kane’s Blackhawks, while the remaining two were scored against the Red Wings. Kane has scored 11 career goals against the Caps, per Statmuse.
