NHL insider in awe of 'greatest goal scorer' Alex Ovechkin

NHL insider Dave Feschuk spoke about Alex Ovechkin's early talent amid his "Gr8 Chase" in getting closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. He shared his thoughts on Wednesday's episode of the "First Up" podcast and recalled Ovechkin’s first NHL game in 2005.

"I talked to the guy (Radoslav Suchy) on whom Ovechkin laid his first hit," Feschuk said [12:07], "... the reason the hit was kind of significant - when you think about Ovechkin and the way he's combined - being the greatest goal scorer in the history of the league with also being a guy who's, what, a few 100 hits short of being the all-time hits leader in the NHL. I mean, unbelievable."

Alex Ovechkin stands third in NHL all-time hits below Cal Clutterbuck (4,029) and Matt Martin (3,922). He has 3,734 hits in 1,484 games and is second among the active players below Martin, who is playing for the New York Islanders.

In that game on Oct. 5, 2005, in which the Caps won 3-2 over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ovechkin hit his opponent, Radoslav Suchy, so hard that he broke the glass.

"But yeah, when he came down on the fore check on his first shift, Ovechkin did back in 2005, and he lays a hit on Suchy as Suchy is going back for a puck," Feschuk said. "And it actually dislodged the metal piece that holds the two panes of glass together, and it came crashing down out of the ice. He broke the boards on his first NHL hit. And then, of course, he went on to score two NHL goals in that first game too."

Alex Ovechkin has 38 goals in 58 games this season, even after missing 16 games due to injury. He recently scored in two straight games, aiming for his 14th 40-goal season. That would add to his NHL record for most 40-goal seasons.

Feschuk admires Alex Ovechkin's goal-scoring pace

Alex Ovechkin scored his 891st goal on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins on a power play. Dylan Strome passed the puck across the crease, and Ovechkin shot it into an open net with Jeremy Swayman in charge. The goal made it 2-0 for Washington and helped the team defeat the Bruins 4-3.

Ovechkin is close to Wayne Gretzky’s record and needs three more to tie him and four to surpass him. On Tuesday's podcast, Feschuk admired Ovechkin's longevity.

"A lot of guys are coaching, almost everybody who's in that game is retired. And yet, here's Ovechkin - still put them in at a pace that really has not slowed much throughout his career," Feschuk said. "It's quite the marvel, quite the story, and it just, just gonna be a fascinating night when Gretzky's there and and they hand over the crowd to Great Eight."

With only a few goals left to pass Gretzky, Ovechkin is close to making history. His next game is against the Hurricanes on Wednesday.