Winnipeg Jets recognize Ovechkin’s goal-scoring feat despite consecutive losses

By Ken Wiebe, Sportsnet

Alex Ovechkin has made a habit of finding the net with regularity against the Winnipeg Jets, dating back to the days when they were still the Atlanta Thrashers.

Ovechkin has scored more goals against this franchise than any other, 53 to be exact. So it was only natural that the Washington Capitals captain first moved into a tie with Gordie Howe at 18:22 of the first period and then took sole possession of second place on the career goals list after scoring into an empty net with one minute left in regulation time.

No, it wasn’t a blistering one-timer from his office that was the historical marker, but that didn’t seem to matter to either Ovechkin or those in attendance for what turned out to be a 4-1 victory for the Capitals.

The Jets showed plenty of class, creating a handshake line for Ovechkin after the final buzzer had sounded.

“It’s just a sign of respect, right? He’s done so much for this league,” Jets centre Adam Lowry, who first met Ovechkin when he was in the seventh or eighth grade back in Calgary when his father Dave was an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames, told reporters in D.C. “He’s been a great ambassador. He’s a great personality and it’s just a sign of respect to really let him know we appreciate all he’s done for the league, all he’s done for us as players. The milestone, it’s an incredible accomplishment.”

During his post-game session with reporters, Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey took some time to share some thoughts on Ovechkin’s accomplishment as well.

“It’s unbelievable. You could use every word possible to describe the career he’s had,” said Morrissey. “It’s crazy when I look back at being a kid growing up and watching Sid and Ovi come into the league and I’ve been in the league seven years and I know how hard it is to score goals. When you see a guy put up numbers like that, just the magnitude, he passed Gordie Howe.

“Gordie Howe is a legend of the game. He’s almost on the, potentially, the Mount Rushmore of hockey, and Ovi just passed him. It’s a moment that you’re not happy about, but at the same time you have to appreciate and show him the respect he deserves. It’s pretty remarkable what he’s done, to say the least. That’s a huge understatement.”

Ovechkin also drew an assist on the game-winner from Sonny Milano to cap a three-point night in what was the final game before the Christmas break for the Jets.

“You know what impresses me? It’s the goals, but he still loves to score goals. I love that,” Bowness said during a recent interview when asked about hitting 800. ”Some guys get a goal and (it’s) ‘yeah okay.’ This guy gets excited about every goal. He loves scoring goals, that’s why he’s got 800 and he’s clearly not done yet. It’s that passion to score that has driven him this far.

“And again, he’s not done yet. There’s a lot more goals coming. You love the compete and you love the fire in his eyes when he’s on that ice and how he lights up when he gets the puck and has a chance to score.”

The Jets lost consecutive games for just the third time this season and looked like a team suffering from fatigue after playing for the 10th time in 16 days.

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