Over the weekend, NBC announced that the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets game on national TV tonight will no longer be national. Instead, the Washington Capitals’ matchup against the New York Islanders will be aired live across the United States as NBCSN opts to cover Alex Ovechkin’s chase for 700 goals instead.

The Russian machine sits at 698 goals and recently had three hat tricks in six games. When Ovechkin hits 700, he will become only the eighth player in NHL history to score that many goals.

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The hockey world is watching.

Alex Ovechkin continues to amaze his peers, and will look to join the exclusive 700-goal club Monday night on NBCSN. @Capitals | @ovi8 pic.twitter.com/5XEqwI7h5D

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) February 9, 2020

For Ovechkin, who prefers to score the milestone goal at home, this will be his last opportunity to cross the threshold at Capital One Arena before going on a three-game road trip.

Is tonight the night for GR8NESS?@ovi8 sits two goals away from 700, and his next shot at history comes tonight on NBCSN! pic.twitter.com/0LkdPag7om

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) February 10, 2020

The game will still air on NBC Sports Washington locally so Caps fans can still hear Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin call the game.

More from NBC:

PROGRAMMING ALERT* – “GR8NESS: OVI’S CHASE FOR 700” – NBC SPORTS ADDS CAPITALS GAME TOMORROW AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Tomorrow’s Islanders-Capitals Matchup to be Televised Nationally on NBCSN; Lightning-Blue Jackets to be Shown Regionally on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 9, 2020 – With Alex Ovechkin just two goals shy of reaching 700 goals for his NHL career, NBC Sports is set to showcase “Gr8ness: Ovi’s Chase for 700” to a national audience, flexing in to the Capitals upcoming game tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live.

The originally-scheduled matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets will be shown on NBCSN in the Tampa Bay, Columbus and New York local markets. Viewers in the Washington D.C. market can find Caps-Islanders on NBC Sports Washington.

After recording a hat trick in the span of only four minutes and 24 seconds in Tuesday’s victory over the Kings, Ovechkin currently sits at 698 career goals. In crossing the 700-goal benchmark, Ovechkin is looking to become just the eighth player in NHL history to achieve the feat.

Headline photo courtesy of NBC