Jake Oettinger stood between Alex Ovechkin and history and said, “Not tonight.” The Dallas Stars’ newest star in net stopped 45 of 46 shots and backstopped the team to a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in their own barn.
The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks chronicled how Oettinger crashed the Caps’ premature celebration – down to the “800” banner that hung over section 102:
Oettinger prevented Ovechkin from scoring goal No. 801, which would have tied Gordie Howe for the second-most in NHL history, leaving Wayne Gretzky as the only player for Ovechkin to chase down.