Ovechkin Nears Gretzky’s NHL Goal Record with 885th

NEW YORK—Alex Ovechkin continued his pursuit of NHL history on Wednesday night, scoring his 885th career goal as the Washington Capitals faced off against the New York Rangers. Ovechkin’s tally in the third period helped level the score at 2-2, marking his 46th goal in 76 career games against the Rangers. This milestone brought him just nine goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record.

The goal came in a clutch moment when Ovechkin, positioned on the left side, capitalized on a loose puck with just over nine minutes remaining in the final period. Reflecting on the goal, Ovechkin praised the team’s effort in securing the puck. “Great job on faceoff… Great battle and the puck came to me,” he noted.

Capitals’ coach Spencer Carbery commended Ovechkin for his ability to seize pivotal moments. “He has a flair for the dramatics at a key moment in the game,” said Carbery. “The puck squirts to him and he makes no mistake. That’s a huge goal for our team, huge goal on the power play. It’s not him in his office, it’s him jumping on a loose puck.”

The Capitals clinched a 3-2 victory in overtime, thanks to Tom Wilson’s decisive goal. Ovechkin now has 32 goals in 46 games this season. Despite missing 16 games due to a fractured left fibula, he has returned to form, scoring 17 goals in 28 games since December.

With only 10 more goals needed to surpass Gretzky’s record of 894 goals, Ovechkin is on track to achieve this milestone by early April, prior to the conclusion of the regular season. Carbery expressed confidence, stating, “What do we need, 10 more (to set the record)? Ten more. We got this.”

Ovechkin’s power-play prowess continues to shine, as he now holds the NHL record with 321 power-play goals. He stands just one point away from becoming the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,600 career points.

Throughout the game, Ovechkin faced determined goaltending from Igor Shesterkin, who blocked several of his attempts. However, Ovechkin prevailed in the third period. His nearly game-winning effort in overtime was thwarted when Shesterkin made a glove save while sprawling to the ice.