RALEIGH, N.C. — The finish line is in sight, and Alex Ovechkin is in full sprint.
The Washington Capitals winger scored career goal No. 892 on Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes, putting him three away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record of 894 with seven games remaining in the regular season.
The Capitals, with a two-man advantage, trailed 4-0 in the final minute in the second period when Ovechkin, stationed at the top of the left circle, took a pass from Jakob Chychrun and one-timed a shot past Charlie Lindgren.
ALEX OVECHKIN, CAREER GOAL 892!
THREE AWAY FROM THE RECORD!#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/s8e3e7r0gk
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 3, 2025
Ovechkin has now scored in three consecutive games, turning the possibility that he passes Gretzky this season into a probability. At the start of the game, based on his expected scoring pace, his teammates and his opponents, The Athletic gave Ovechkin a 56 percent chance at breaking the record this month. That is now up to 67.4 percent.
The goal also came with Gretzky, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and other VIPs in attendance at Lenovo Center.
Ovechkin has now scored 39 goals in 59 games this season, putting him at a 54-goal pace. A fractured fibula cost him 17 games in November and December and threatened to kick the chase into the 2025-26 season, but Ovechkin returned on Dec. 28 and barely missed a beat. In 41 games since, he’s scored 24 goals and put himself, again, on the doorstep of history.
The Capitals, after back-to-back games that began in Boston, will get Thursday off. The chase resumes on Friday in Washington against the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the worst teams in the league. Heading into their game against the Avalanche on Wednesday, the Blackhawks had allowed three goals or more in 13 consecutive games.
After that, the Capitals have games against the New York Islanders, the Hurricanes, a home-and-home against the Columbus Blue Jackets (including their home finale) and the Islanders again before finishing their regular season in Pittsburgh on April 17.
All of those opponents will, to varying degrees, give Ovechkin prime chances at finishing the job. He showed on Wednesday what he can do against the Hurricanes. Things are only getting worse for the Islanders, who’ve lost six straight. As great a story as the Blue Jackets have been, they might be running on fumes. In Pittsburgh, they’re not doing much more than playing out the string.
The Caps, meanwhile, are trying regain pole position for the Presidents’ Trophy and lock up the Eastern Conference’s top seed. The latter isn’t much more than a formality. Ovechkin’s chase hasn’t quite earned that label — but it’s getting closer.
(Photo: Winslow Townson / Imagn Images)