Alex Ovechkin has finally done it. He is now the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer. Despite facing the Flyers 78 times in his career, they were not the team that allowed the record-breaking goal.
Plenty of current and former Flyers' goaltenders have allowed a goal to Ovechkin. 14 different goaltenders allowed at least one during their time in Philadelphia. Leading the way with six goals against is Carter Hart.
The other 13 goaltenders were: Antero Niittymaki, Robert Esche, Martin Biron, Ray Emery, Sergei Bobrovsky, Ilya Bryzgalov, Steve Mason, Brian Elliott, Petr Mrazek, Alex Lyon, Felix Sandstrom, Sam Ersson, and Ivan Fedotov
Ovechkin has 52 career goals against the Flyers. The Flyers held Ovechkin off the scoresheet in two separate seasons. 2016-17 was the first, though he did have four assists. 2019-20 was the only year he was pointless against the Flyers.
The Flyers are tied for second with the Hurricanes, who have also given up 52 goals. The Winnipeg Jets have allowed the most, coming in at 57 goals.
Former Flyers goaltender has had the most success against Alex Ovechkin
There's a very exclusive list of goaltenders who have not allowed Ovechkin to score on them. While 183 goaltenders have been burned at least once, only 28 goaltenders hold the honor of not seeing the goal lamp lit behind them.
Leading the way is former Flyers goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who made 25 saves against Ovechkin in seven career games. Eight of those shots were during the regular season, and six of them came in Neuvirth's first game facing Ovechkin in Philadelphia. Even though playoff goals didn't count toward the record, Ovechkin made sure to fire pucks on net when Neuvirth faced him in the 2016 playoffs.
Ovechkin fired a massive 16 shots on net against Neuvirth in three games. He had a game-high eight shots in the fifth game of the series. Neuvirth would stop all 44 shots he saw that night.
Neuvirth began his career with the Capitals in 2008-09 and was there until 2013-14. Being teammates with Ovechkin for that long, it's not a surprise to see that Neuvirth never allowed him to score when he moved on to the Flyers. He had a stop in Buffalo and with the Islanders, but never faced the Capitals during that time. So the Flyers are the only team where Neuvirth got the chance to face Ovechkin
Two other Flyers goaltenders were among the 28 to not allow an Ovechkin goal. Rob Zepp stopped 10 shots in two career games. Anthony Stolarz made four saves, though he did it as a member of the Florida Panthers.
Alex Ovechkin's time in the NHL is almost certainly coming to an end soon. He has one more year left on his contract. Considering the Flyers are one of the teams that he has victimized the most, they'll be okay once they don't have to face him anymore. But at least some of their former goaltenders can celebrate never allowing him to score against them.