Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals` star, is celebrated as one of the greatest players in NHL history. Already a legend, the forward is now within reach of Wayne Gretzky`s all-time goal record.
At 39 years old, Ovechkin is on the cusp of becoming the NHL`s all-time leading scorer. He is just four goals away from surpassing Gretzky`s record of 894 goals before this season concludes. Ovechkin`s current career total stands at 891 goals, after scoring his 38th goal of the season on Tuesday. This goal came during the first period against the Bruins on a power play, assisted by a skillful pass from Dylan Strome.
With eight games remaining in the 2024-25 season after Tuesday`s game, Ovechkin needs to score just four more goals to break Gretzky`s record.
While Ovechkin is on track to break Gretzky`s record, there is little room for error as the regular season approaches its end. If Ovechkin maintains his current scoring pace, he has the potential to break Gretzky`s record by April 17, the final day of the regular season.
Achieving one or two multi-goal games would significantly boost his chances. He has accomplished this five times this season, but only once since late November. Here’s a look at the Capitals` upcoming schedule and the average goals allowed per game by their opponents.
Capitals Upcoming Schedule
- April 1: at Bruins (3.28)
- April 2: at Hurricanes (2.64)
- April 4: vs. Blackhawks (3.59)
- April 6: at Islanders (3.06)
Ovechkin`s professional career includes 1,614 total points (891 goals, 723 assists). On March 9th, he became the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,600 points.
During the 2022-23 season, Ovechkin scored 42 goals, and he has achieved at least 41 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
In the 2023-24 season, he set an NHL record by achieving his 18th 30-goal season, surpassing Mike Gartner`s previous record of 17. He has now reached this milestone 19 times in his career.
Keep following Ovechkin`s goal count as he gets closer to breaking Gretzky`s all-time record.
Elton Marrow