Injury delays Ovechkin, but the hunt for Gretzky’s record continues

Pierre Blais

2024-11-25 17:57:00

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The National Hockey League’s top scorer is now 39 years old, and time is running out if he is to overtake Wayne Gretzky as the all-time leading marksman. Alex Ovechkin is currently suffering from a nasty injury that will keep him out of action for a few weeks…

 
The agony of 2023-24 continued…

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The 2024-25 season got off to a slow start for Ovi. Having failed to score in his first three games, one had to wonder if he would ever be able to join Gretzky…

 
The end?

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This question dogged Ovechkin throughout the 2023-24 season, when he scored just 7 goals in his first 33 games. Including 2 in his first 12…

 
‘Only 31 goals’

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Last year, Ovi scored 31 goals, his worst career total in a full season…

 
The doubt

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And the 2024-25 season got off to the same start: no goals in its first three games, enough to sow doubt.

 
But no, Ovi wasn’t finished!

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But then Ovechkin got going: 5 goals in 6 games by the end of October.

 
October and November on fire!

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Then came November: 10 goals in 9 games! Ovi was clearly back.

 
Including 5 goals in 2 games

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On November 17 and 18, Alex Ovechkin scored 5 goals in 2 games…

 
But the injury…

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…before being injured in the November 18 game against the Utah Hockey Club.

 
4 to 6 weeks

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The bottom line? Ovechkin is expected to be out for 4 to 6 weeks…

 
The great one

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The current state of the race shows Gretzky, still in first place, with 894 career goals…

 
Ovi had the rhythm

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Whereas Ovechkin has 868. At this rate, Alex Ovechkin would have joined Gretzky somewhere next February.

 
He’ll join him, but when?

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To be continued. Ovechkin should indeed join Gretzky, but maybe not this year!