Ovechkin passes Jagr with 767 goals, third in NHL history

WASHINGTON-- Alex Ovechkin passed Jaromir Jagr for third in NHL goals when the Washington Capitals forward scored No. 767 against the New York Islanders at Capital One Arena on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old trails Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most in NHL history.
"It's pretty cool," Ovechkin said. "[To] pass all those names, legends, it's history. It's going to be forever, and I hope somebody is going to break my record. We will see."
Ovechkin has scored 37 goals in 59 games this season. The Moscow native has played 1,256 regular-season games during 17 seasons with Washington.
Jagr played 1,733 NHL games during 24 seasons with nine teams, including 83 goals in 190 games for the Capitals (2001-04), and last played in the NHL for the Calgary Flames in 2017. The 50-year-old continues to play in the Czech Extraliga for Kladno, his hometown team that he owns.
"Alex, 'The Great 8,' congratulations," Jagr said in a video posted on Twitter. "Now you've become the leading NHL goal-scorer among European players, but keep scoring. Keep scoring, because as you know, I didn't retire from hockey yet and there's a chance I might come back to the NHL and start chasing you."

Jagr left the NHL to play in the Kontinental Hockey League for three seasons (Omsk, 2008-11).
"It's special," Ovechkin said. "If he didn't go back to the KHL, I think he would be 2 or maybe No. 1, but it is what it is. Now I'm happy, and being [the] No. 1 European player, Russian player, it's pretty cool."
Ovechkin tied Jagr on March 8 with two goals in a 5-4 win at Calgary. He had not scored in two games before giving the Capitals a 3-2 lead with 4:58 remaining in the third period Tuesday. Washington won 4-3 in a shootout.
Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov won a face-off in the right circle and dropped the puck to Ovechkin, whose wrist shot sailed over the left shoulder of goalie Semyon Varlamov, a former teammate (2008-11).
"I just close my eyes and shoot," Ovechkin said. "I [had] pretty good chances previous games. Finally, 'Kuzy' wins a good face-off right on my stick. To score on a very good friend, 'Varly', it's nice too."
Kuznetsov collected the puck from the net before joining the rest of the Capitals, who came off the bench to congratulate Ovechkin at center ice.
"That's a colossal milestone," Washington coach Peter Laviolette said. "The league's been running for a long time. There's been a lot of players that have come through it. To move into third all-time and pass a great player like Jaromir Jagr, I got the chance to coach him (with the Philadelphia Flyers) and what a player he was. To pass him and continue to move up the list is pretty special. It's special for 'Ovi', for his family, for the guys in the room, especially the ones that have been here with him for a long time, for the fan base that's been here and supporting him. What a great night, a special night."
Islanders coach Barry Trotz was Capitals coach from 2014-18.
"Obviously, congrats to him," Trotz said. "I wish he wouldn't have scored against us, but he keeps climbing the ladder."
Ovechkin began the season sixth with 730 NHL goals and passed Marcel Dionne for fifth (731) against the New York Rangers on Oct. 13, and Brett Hull for fourth (741) against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 12.
"For us, he's so close to us, and we never even talk about [how he] accomplishes all those milestones," Kuznetsov said. "I'm pretty sure one day when I'm going to retire, I hope he's going to be still friends with me. We're going to sit somewhere and think about and remember some of those milestones. For now, we're kind of, turn the page and focus next."