Ovechkin NHL Record Chase Odds and Predictions – Sunday, April 6
Alex Ovechkin will attempt to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record this afternoon against the New York Islanders. Let’s take a look at some special prop bets.
Washington Capitals (-130, 5.5) at NY Islanders
12:30 p.m. ET
Alexander Ovechkin’s next goal will put him atop the charts as the all-time goal scorer in NHL history, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894. The Great 8 scored a pair of goals on Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, giving him goals in four consecutive games. With the Blackhawks down a goal late in the third period and looking to tie the game, the Hawks pulled their goalie in favor of a sixth attacker, but Ovechkin had no interest in breaking the record with an empty net goal.
“I tell him (coach Spencer Carbery), “I don’t want empty net,” Ovechkin said. “Everybody ask me, I say ‘let’s wait.'”
“He wants to break the record with the goaltender in the crease, which I appreciate,” Capitals head coach, Spencer Carbery said. “He didn’t want to go out. … He told me that on the bench, and I just wanted to confirm and make sure he didn’t wanna go back out.”
Following Capitals rookie Ryan Leonard’s empty net goal, giving Washington a 5-3 lead, Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight returned to the net, and Ovechkin returned to the ice but was thwarted on a couple of attempts to break Gretzky’s record. For the night, Ovechkin finished with two goals, three shots on goal, and six shots that missed the net. His three shots on goal fell just shy of his prop at Over 3.5 (-140). I am hesitant to play any Ovechkin shots on goal props because it would not surprise me if he were to score the historic goal early in the game, for Ovi to take it easy the rest of the way and/or possibly take himself out of the game.
Sunday, Ovi faces an Islanders team that he has scored 44 goals in 71 games against, but he has never scored against fellow Russian, Ilya Sorokin in their three meetings. Unlike the Blackhawks who are out of playoff contention, the Islanders are hanging on by a thread, trailing the Montreal Canadiens by seven points with seven games left on their schedule. Prior to their 3-1 win over Minnesota on Friday, the Islanders lost six straight, giving up four goals or more in five of the losses.
In addition to the standard anytime goal (-115), FanDuel is also offering Ovechkin to score the first goal of the game (+700) as well as scoring the record-breaking goal at even strength and on the power play in each period. It’s my feeling that Ovechkin scores the historic goal in either the first or second period. With that being said, I suggest making four (.25 unit) plays on Ovechkin scoring at even strength and the power play in both the first and second periods.
One Islanders play that I will look at in-play is their team total Over 2.5 goals. The overnight line (-155) is a little too rich for me. I am hoping the Islanders don’t score in the opening five minutes and this line drops closer to (-130).
One other note. Yours truly has in-pocket for Ovi to score his record-breaking goal against Islanders goalie, Ilya Sorokin at +800.
NHL Predictions: Ovechkin first goal of the game +700 – .10 units
Ovechkin 1st period goal/even strength +600 – .25 units
Ovechkin 1st period goal/power play goal +1500 – .25 units
Ovechkin 2nd period goal/even strength +600 – .25 units
Ovechkin 2nd period goal/power play +1500 – .25 units
Ovechkin anytime goal (-115) – 1 unit
