Ovechkin countdown

[ManitobaBlues]

For Canadians, the number 99 will always be remembered as "The Great One" in the world of hockey—at the professional, international, and amateur levels. Wayne Gretzky remains one of the greatest to ever play the game, but the era of hockey has evolved.

I'm confident Ovechkin's record will eventually be broken. The NHL is changing—it's faster, more dynamic, and offensively driven. We're seeing defensemen who can skate, shoot, and contribute just as much as elite forwards. The game's on a whole new level.

[82birds]

NEW YORK -- Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored goal No. 895 on Sunday, passing Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL's all-time goal scoring leader.

Ovechkin, on a pass from longtime teammate Tom Wilson, netted the record breaker in a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders with a power-play goal past fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin with 12:34 left in the second period of Sunday's game -- the 1,487th game of his career, the same as Gretzky's career total.

[Pink Freud]

The Great Eight Ovi topping this seemingly unattainable hockey record assures tonight's lead story on "SportsCenter" will be about the NBA.