Ovechkin on Malkin's heels

 BY JIM MATHESON, THE EDMONTON JOURNAL, APRIL 7, 2009:

Malkin and Ovechkin may no longer be at each other's throats, but Ovechkin is on Malkin's heels for the scoring race. With less than a week to go in the season, Ovechkin has closed to within two points (108-106) after Malkin was comfortably ahead by 11 points a month ago.

500 AND COUNTING

Ovechkin has eclipsed 500 shots on goal for the season, climbing to 507 with 11 shots on Atlanta Thrashers goaltender Johan Hedberg on Sunday.

It's unlikely that Ovechkin will catch Phil Esposito's NHL record of 550 shots for the Boston Bruins 38 years ago, unless he gets 15 a night in his last three games. Esposito and Ovechkin are the only two NHLers who've ever hit the 500-shot mark.

Next closest to Ovechkin this season in the shot parade is Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils with 349. Jeff Carter of the Philadelphia Flyers is third at 331. Nobody else in the league has even 300 shots.

Ovechkin also fired seven shots wide of the net against Atlanta on Sunday.

On the season, he's had 211 shots miss the net and another 31 have been blocked. Add that to his 507 and that's 749 fired at the net.

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