(Caps Outsider)
Alex Ovechkin is the greatest goal-scorer of all time, whether or not he has Wayne Gretzky’s National Hockey League record. That said, it’s useful to explore how the record — 894 — got to be what it is.
In just about every sport, the all-time leader in any given category had certain advantages over other all-time greats. Barry Bonds is the all-time home-run king in baseball because steroids boosted his already-high totals. Babe Ruth didn’t have to face players in the Negro Leagues, which gave him an edge because he didn’t compete against some of the other better players of his time.