Kings aiming to slow Ovechkin's historic march toward Gretzky goal mark

LOS ANGELES -- The growing anticipation of Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record won’t distract Drew Doughty from the task at hand when Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals visit Doughty’s Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MNMT2, SN, TVAS).

“It’s exciting, I think, for the whole League watching this go down, but I still don’t want him to score against my team,” Doughty said. “I’m going to do everything I can to keep him off the scoresheet, as tough as it is. That’s my job and I do it to the best of my ability.”

That approach has served Doughty, the 2016 winner of the Norris Trophy, voted as the NHL’s top defenseman, well during his 17 seasons in the League and reflects the Kings’ general attitude toward Ovechkin’s march toward history. Like many around the NHL, they appreciate that Ovechkin has climbed within nine goals of breaking Gretzky’s record of 894.

It’s a record Los Angeles reveres as much as any organization; Gretzky was playing for the Kings when he passed Gordie Howe by scoring his 802nd goal to claim the record on March 23, 1994, and there’s a statue of him outside of Crypto.com Arena.

“One of the greatest records ever,” Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller said. “It’s pretty incredible, but we’re getting close. We’re all in awe. We just want to delay it a little bit here. That will be our job.”

The Kings have long employed two of the best at that job in Doughty and center Anze Kopitar, a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy voted as the NHL’s best defensive forward (2016, 2018) who has played 19 seasons with Los Angeles. The Kings and Capitals face each other only twice a season, but Doughty, 35, and Kopitar, 37, have always looked forward to the challenge of trying to contain Ovechkin.

“He’s a specimen, obviously,” said Kopitar, Los Angeles' all-time leader in assists (828) and games played (1,436), second in its history in points (1,263) and third in goals (435). “He’s very well physically gifted. He does whatever he needs to get ready and to be able to score different ways and adapt and adjust.

“Ever since he broke into the League, everybody is aware of him and yet he still gets it done.”

Ovechkin is still going strong at 39. In his 20th season, the forward leads the Capitals and is tied for fifth in the NHL with 33 goals in 49 games this season.

“It’s very impressive,” Doughty said. “I really never thought that Gretzky’s record was going to be in touch. I’m absolutely shocked and very happy for ‘Ovi.’ Best goal-scorer I’ve, obviously, ever played against and ever seen. It’s very exciting.”

Ovechkin appreciates having that kind of support from such longtime opponents.

“It shows respect,” he said. “It shows they are watching, and it’s history.”

Ovechkin missed the first game between the Capitals and Kings on Dec. 22 in Washington while recovering from a fractured left fibula. Doughty also missed that game while he was sidelined with a broken left ankle, so he’s looking forward to renewing one of his favorite battles.

“He’s just, obviously, a great shooter,” Doughty said. “Back when he was younger, he had a lot of speed and some good dangles. He doesn’t use it as much, I don’t think, as he used to, as all of us older guys don’t do a lot of the same things we used to, but he’s also physical. That’s the one thing that I’ve always loved about him is I’ll run him in a game, and I know he’s going to run me right back.

“We always compete hard against each other, and I’ve always respected him because of that. Off the ice, I’m not going to say I’m like actual friends with him, but when I do talk to him, there’s a respect factor there.”

According to NHL Stats, Ovechkin has 12 goals in 23 games playing against Doughty. Ovechkin has always enjoyed their meetings, too.

“Obviously, he’s one of the top 'D' out there,” Ovechkin said. “And it’s always challenging to play against those kind of players.”

Kopitar also knows well how difficult it can be playing against Ovechkin, who has 12 goals in 26 games against him.

“It’s always exciting and it’s always challenging playing against him,” the Los Angeles captain said. “First and foremost, you want to keep him off the power play. He’s scored a lot of power-play goals (NHL-record 321). Just try to limit time and space because if you give him a split second, he can get that wicked wrister off and usually it’s a good chance it’s going to go in.”

Though Kopitar and Doughty hope to put a slow to Ovechkin’s chase Thursday, each said he is rooting for him to break the record eventually.

“For sure,” Kopitar said. “Hopefully, he doesn’t score nine goals [Thursday], but it’s one of those things where I think everybody’s cheering for him to get it done.”

Doughty said: “Yeah, I want to see it happen. I was a big Gretzky fan my whole life, so I always wanted Gretzky to hold the record. But it’s pretty cool to say you played against the best goal-scorer in NHL history.”