Akira Schmid remains one of Alex Ovechkin’s most unsolvable goaltenders during legendary goal-scoring career
Alex Ovechkin has scored on an NHL-record 188 goaltenders during his 21-season career in the league, adding four of those netminders to his list this year. However, there are a select few backstops that have been able to avoid punishment from Ovechkin, and one of the top ones is current Vegas Golden Knights goalie Akira Schmid.
Schmid played his fifth career game against Ovechkin on Friday night, taking a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals but avoiding an Ovechkin goal. Ovechkin recorded three shots on Schmid in the contest, increasing Schmid’s career saves against Ovechkin to 11.
The Swiss-born goaltender was one of 28 all-time goalies to survive Ovechkin’s wrath through his ultimately successful chase of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, which ended last season. In doing so, Schmid became one of Budweiser’s “Kings of Zero,” receiving a commemorative beer can for the accomplishment last April.
The 11 saves on Ovechkin have Schmid tied for the sixth-most stops on the goal-scoring king without allowing a goal. Only 11 goalies during Ovechkin’s career have hit the double-digit saves mark without him eventually beating them with a shot.
One of the goaltenders on the list when it was first put together, Montreal’s Jakub Dobes, has since been scored on by Ovechkin. Five new goalies have been added this season: Arturs Silovs (PIT), Jonas Johansson (TBL), Brandon Bussi (CAR), Devin Cooley (CGY), and Dennis Hildeby (TOR).
NHL goalies who have faced an Ovechkin shot and never surrendered a goal
Outside of Schmid, three other goalies already on the list have also added to their totals against Ovechkin this season.
Joel Hofer (9) made one save on Ovechkin for the St. Louis Blues in relief of Jordan Binnington on November 5, the same night that Ovechkin scored his 900th career goal. Lukas Dostal (4) made one more save on Ovechkin for the Anaheim Ducks on January 5, and Kevin Lankinen (16) added two saves to his total on Ovechkin for the Vancouver Canucks on January 21.
Among all still active goalies on the list, Lankinen ranks second behind only former Capitals netminder Vitek Vanecek (19). Schmid ranks fourth, behind Vanecek, Lankinen, and Seattle’s Joey Daccord (14).
