Alex Ovechkin scored the 861st goal of his career during the third period of the Washington Capitals’ 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night. The game-winning tally moved him just 33 shy of Wayne Gretzky for a share of the NHL’s all-time goals record.
Just 90 minutes before Ovechkin’s goal against Nashville, Gretzky was asked about the record while serving as an analyst for TNT’s broadcast of the Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks game. Gretzky has long been a proponent of wanting to see Ovechkin topple the 894 mark.
“He’s had a tremendous start, right?” Gretzky said. “Listen, it’s not a question of if he’s going to break the record; it’s a question of when is he going to break the record, which is great for the game. It’s positive, and he’s been such a classy player for our sport for so many years, good for him.”
Ovechkin’s goal against the Predators extended his goal-scoring streak to five games, giving him eight goals in 12 games to start the season. Last season, Ovechkin didn’t score eight goals until January 2, 2024.
At his current goal-scoring pace of 0.67 goals per game, Ovechkin could pass Gretzky on March 5 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. He’s also projected to score 54 goals if he can remain on this hot streak.
.@WayneGretzky talks about Ovi's chase for his goals record…
Only 35 away as of this tweet 👀 pic.twitter.com/FrJ8561UIh
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 7, 2024
Ovechkin’s success has come with the Capitals being one of the league’s top teams throughout the first five weeks of the 2024-25 campaign. Using his own past experience, Gretzky hypothesized that some of the team’s great play could be related to seeing their captain try to track down history.
“Listen, when you’re doing something like this, one of the things that maybe doesn’t get talked enough about, everybody’s obviously focused on Alex, but it’s fun for the other players too,” Gretzky said. “I remember my teammates, they loved it. They enjoyed it, and they took it all in also. And I’m sure all these young guys are taking it in with Alex. And of course, the fans are, and the organization, the owner, everybody. This is an exciting time.”
Washington is 9-3 through 12 games, tied with the Carolina Hurricanes at the top of the Metropolitan Division and third overall in the Eastern Conference. The club has seen its five-on-five play take leaps under second-year bench boss Spencer Carbery, and the emergence of young players like Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas has bolstered its scoring depth.
The Capitals are scoring 4.08 goals per game, which is good for fourth-best in the NHL. They also added big pieces to their defense corps over the offseason and have become a top-10 team in goals against per game, allowing just 2.92.
“They injected some energy in their hockey club,” Gretzky said. “Their goaltending has been pretty solid. And Alex is playing well. And with Alex leading the way, these young guys have jumped on board, and they’re playing hard. This coach has done an incredible job there. They play structured. They play smart. They play hard. And listen, they deserve to be where they are right now. They’re playing very well.”
