Many doubted it could ever be done. Some called it impossible. On Sunday, NHL history was rewritten as Alexander Ovechkin scored career goal No. 895 to officially surpass Wayne Gretzky as the all-time goals leader in the NHL.
With that many goals comes a fascinating story of how the record was achieved. Let’s take a look at the role the Calgary Flames played in Ovechkin’s historic journey.
Flames goalies Ovechkin has scored on
Ovechkin has played 27 career games against the Flames, scoring a total of 18 goals. He has found the back of the net against what feels like an entire generation of Flames goaltenders—from Miikka Kiprusoff to Dustin Wolf. Here’s the breakdown:
- Miikka Kiprusoff (6)
- Karri Ramo (3)
- Brian Elliott (1)
- Cam Talbot (1)
- Dan Vladar (3)
- Jacob Markström (1)
- Dustin Wolf (2)
- Empty net (1)
Ovechkin’s multi-goal performances vs. the Flames
While Ovechkin has never scored a hat trick against the Flames—one of just 11 teams he hasn’t managed the feat against—he has recorded five multi-goal games:
- March 12, 2008 – vs. Kiprusoff
- Oct. 30, 2010 – vs. Kiprusoff
- Oct. 3, 2013 – vs. Ramo
- March 8, 2022 – vs. Vladar
- March 18, 2024 – vs. Wolf
The power play
Ovechkin is well known for setting up shop near the top of the face-off circle and routinely wiring home one-timers and wrist shots. That spot truly is his office and has played a massive role in what made him such a lethal scorer, particularly on the power play—where he’s also the NHL’s all-time leader with 320 power-play goals.
Of his 18 goals against the Flames, 12 came with the man advantage. His most recent power-play tallies came last season when he scored twice with the man advantage against Dustin Wolf.
Game winners
In addition to owning the NHL record for power-play goals, Ovechkin also holds the all-time mark for game-winning goals with 135. Four of those came against the Flames:
- March 12, 2008 (3–2)
- Oct. 30, 2010 (7–2)
- March 8, 2022 (5–4)
- March 18, 2024 (5–2)
Whether it was the winner or not, it often felt like whenever Ovechkin scored against Calgary, the Capitals ended up winning. In the 13 games where he recorded a goal against the Flames, Washington holds a 10–3–0 record.
Where Ovechkin’s goals landed on the road to the record
Ovechkin’s first goal against the Flames was career goal No. 153. The rest were: 154, 265, 275, 276, 318, 373, 374, 479, 554, 665, 735, 765, 766, 791, 842, 843 and 883.
It took a while for him to notch his first goal against Calgary, but from then on, the Flames were frequent witnesses as he climbed toward the top.
Home vs. away
Flames fans at the Saddledome didn’t get to see as many Ovechkin goals as fans out east. Of his 18 goals against Calgary, only eight were scored in Calgary—while 10 came on home ice in Washington.
Still, a few lucky Saddledome spectators witnessed history in person—whether they realized it or not.
Where the Flames rank
With 18 goals against, Calgary ranks 20th among teams Ovechkin has scored on. At the top of the list is the Jets/Thrashers franchise with 57 goals allowed. At the bottom sits Utah with just two.
Among teams that have existed for Ovechkin’s entire career, the fewest goals against come from the Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings—each surrendering just 12 to Ovechkin.
At the time of all the goals and the losses, Flames fans and players probably weren’t thrilled to see No. 8 on the ice. But in hindsight, it’s something special to know you were watching a piece of hockey history unfold.
For a young goalie like Dustin Wolf, it might even be an honour to be part of the legacy. These days, getting scored on by Ovechkin almost feels like a rite of passage. While not necessarily proud of it, it’s a pretty cool story to be able to tell in the future.
Whether or not Ovechkin returns for the final season of his contract remains to be seen. But one thing’s certain: the Great 8 found his share of success against the Flames over the years and if he makes a return to Calgary next season, the red light is in danger of lighting up whenever Ovechkin will be on the ice.
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