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But what are you supposed to do? You’re up by one, a minute left, you’ve got to put it in the net. It comes with being on a good team. You get leads, and then you get those. I get it, though. People don’t love it, I’m sure. But the whole point is just to end the game.”

End the game. Wait. Hang on a second. Think about that for a moment. Empty-netters end the game. They’re the true game-winning goals. Score one and you’ve assured victory. They end the tension, they deflate the opponent, they send the fans home. They’re huge. So what if Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time leader in empty-net goals? So what if more than 7 percent of his career goal totals came without an opposing goaltender on the ice?

That means more than 7 percent of his goals guaranteed a Washington Capitals win. That’s not nothing. And look who’s next on the list — Wayne Gretzky, the man Ovechkin is chasing for the all-time goals record. Gretzky scored 56 empty-netters in his career. After that, it’s Marián Hossa (40), Brad Marchand (38), Sidney Crosby (36) and Mario Lemieux (33). Pretty good company.