So the Washington Capitals forward will try again for No. 767 against the New York Islanders at Capital One Arena on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, NBCSWA, MSG+, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
"I think everyone wants him to pass him and I'm sure he's eager to do it, too," forward Nicklas Backstrom said Monday. "But it will come soon enough."
Ovechkin has been at 766 goals since he tied Jagr with two goals in a 5-4 victory at the Calgary Flames on March 8, but not from a lack of opportunities. The 36-year-old had eight shots on goal and nine attempts in a 4-3 overtime loss at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, and six shots on goal and 11 attempts in a 4-3 overtime victory at the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.
Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said he doesn't think Ovechkin has been pressing, though.
"I think everybody knows there's something on the horizon," Laviolette said. "But I think he'd shoot that much anyway. I just think it's in his blood. It's in his nature. He's got a release. He'd take it as much as he can get. So it will come eventually."
Ovechkin could've scored the milestone goal with a fortunate bounce or two. In the third period in Edmonton, a touch pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov left Ovechkin with a near empty net, but the puck rolled up his stick blade and he shot it high off the glass.
Then Ovechkin came within inches of scoring in the first period against the Canucks. His one-timer from the left circle hit the left post, caromed off the back of goalie Thatcher Demko's left leg and was spinning on the goal line before Kuznetsov knocked the puck over for a power-play goal.
"I was celebrating in Edmonton when he had the open net there, but sometimes it goes in, sometimes not," Backstrom said. "He's that kind of guy (that) he wants to do it at home, I guess."
Earlier this season, Ovechkin passed Brett Hull for fourth on the goals list when he scored No. 742 in a 4-3 win at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 12. But he tied and passed Marcel Dionne for fifth with his 731st and 732nd goals in a 5-1 home victory against the New York Rangers in the season opener on Oct. 13.
And it was almost one year ago, March 16, 2021, when Ovechkin passed Phil Esposito for sixth with his 718th goal in a 3-1 win against the Islanders at Capital One Arena. So not scoring the past two games on the road has left him in position to move up the goals list in a home game against the Islanders again.
"It's such a cool thing to be a part of," Capitals forward Tom Wilson said. "So we're excited for him. We've just got to keep worrying about the group game and he'll get it. I'm pretty confident."
Having played on the same line with Ovechkin for much of this season, Wilson can feel his energy during and sometimes between shifts.
"I get to the bench and I'm like tired, I'm gassed and he's like, 'Come on. Come on. Come on. Let's go. We're going. Put us up. Let's go again.' I'm like, 'Holy smokes,'" Wilson said. "It draws you into the fight. It pushes you. It's contagious, for sure. You kind of feel that. There's nothing better."
Ovechkin will undoubtedly keep shooting. He is second in the NHL this season with 259 shots on goal, behind Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets with 263. With 5,986 shots on goal in his 17 NHL seasons, Ovechkin is 14 away from becoming the second player to reach 6,000, joining Raymond Bourque, who had 6,209.
So Backstrom doesn't believe Ovechkin will have to wait much longer for his next goal.
"I think all the milestones that I remember with him he hasn't been waiting a long time, just one or two games," Backstrom said. "He usually does it right away. That's how he is."
