PHILADELPHIA — Alex Ovechkin netted his 879th goal during his NHL career, moving him just 16 goals shy of surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. The Washington Capitals triumphed over the Philadelphia Flyers with a final score of 4-3 on Thursday night.

Ovechkin found the back of the net with only 53 seconds left in the first period, connecting on a pass from Martin Fehervary and effortlessly flicking the puck past goalie Ivan Fedotov. This goal marked Ovechkin’s 26th of the current season and equalized the game at 1-1.

Jakob Chychrun ultimately secured the win for the Capitals, scoring with 7:55 left in the match after receiving a cross-ice setup from John Carlson. Additionally, Connor McMichael and Lars Eller also contributed goals for Washington, which faced a 3-2 deficit after the end of the second period. Goalie Charlie Lindgren made a total of 19 saves in the match.

For the Flyers, Matvei Michkov contributed two goals, while Tyson Foerster added another. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, this loss marked their fifth consecutive defeat and their seventh in eight games. Fedotov managed to make 14 saves during the contest.

Michkov’s impressive performance now totals 16 goals this season, positioning him second among rookie scorers, trailing only Macklin Celebrini of San Jose.

Key takeaways from the game indicate that Washington continues to dominate, having gained points in 17 of their last 18 outings with a record of 12-1-5. Meanwhile, the Flyers have struggled offensively, only scoring three goals for the second time in nine games. Their offensive challenges have been exacerbated by injuries and the recent arrival of AHL players Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier, who delayed travel from Calgary and only joined the team during the second period.

A pivotal moment in the game came when Lindgren executed several crucial saves in the final seconds, including a remarkable stop against Foerster from close range, which helped preserve Washington’s lead.

In terms of noteworthy statistics, Ovechkin has scored in four consecutive games, marking the 34th time in his career that he has achieved this feat, tying him with Mario Lemieux for the most in NHL history.

Looking ahead, the Capitals have a brief break and will host the Utah team on Sunday, while the Flyers are set to face Pittsburgh on Saturday night.