Alex Ovechkin scored his 885th career goal during the Washington Capitals’ game against the New York Rangers on Wednesday night, bringing him just nine goals shy of tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record.
The Capitals’ captain netted the goal midway through the third period, tying the game at 2-2. He capitalized on a loose puck from the left side with 9:32 remaining. Ovechkin has now scored 46 goals in 76 games against the Rangers.
“Great job on the faceoff,” Ovechkin said about the play. “There was a great battle, and the puck came to me.”
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery was full of praise for Ovechkin’s timely goal.
“He has a knack for delivering in big moments,” Carbery noted. “The puck comes to him, and he doesn’t miss. That was a massive goal for us, especially on the power play. It wasn’t a typical spot for him, but he was right there to capitalize on the loose puck.”
The Capitals secured a 3-2 overtime victory, with Tom Wilson scoring the game-winning goal at 4:07.
Ovechkin has recorded 32 goals in 46 games this season. He started strong with 15 goals in his first 18 games but was sidelined for 16 games due to a fractured left fibula. Since returning on December 28, Ovechkin has scored 17 goals in 28 games.
The Russian superstar is on track to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s seemingly unreachable record of 894 goals by early April, well ahead of the regular season’s conclusion.
“We need 10 more (to break the record),” coach Spencer Carbery said. “Ten more. We’ve got this.”
Ovechkin has now scored 321 power-play goals, extending his own NHL record, and is just one point away from becoming the 11th player in league history to reach 1,600 career points.
In the game, Ovechkin had two shots blocked and one stopped by Igor Shesterkin during his first shift. In the second period, he fired a wrist shot that was caught by Shesterkin 2 1/2 minutes in, and later had another shot saved by the goalie with 1:11 left in the period.
He finally broke through in the third period and came close to ending it in overtime, but Shesterkin managed to glove the puck as he fell to the ice, legs splayed.