Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is one of the most heralded players in NHL history. The legendary forward has already etched his name in history, but he’s still chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.
Now, at age 39, Ovechkin is on the verge of becoming the NHL’s all-time goals leader, and he can pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 before the end of season. The Capitals standout currently has 889 career goals after he scored his 36th of the season in the third period of Washington’s 3-2 overtime road loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 25.
With his third goal in five games, Ovechkin needs six more goals in Washington’s 11 remaining games to top Gretzky’s record this season. That’s a pace of 0.55 goals per game from now until the final regular season game.
The good news is that’s below his scoring pace this season, which is 0.65 goals per game. The bad news is that leaves zero margin for error. If Ovechkin continues to score at his current pace this season, he will break Gretzky’s record on April 17, the final day of the regular season.
Getting a multi-goal game or two would go a long way toward helping his chances, but Ovechkin might see a couple of the NHL’s best goalies over the next week. Here’s a look at the Capitals upcoming schedule and how many goals those opponents allow per game.
Capitals Upcoming Schedule
- March 27: at Wild (2.75)
- March 30: vs. Sabres (3.49)
- April 1: at Bruins (3.26)
Ovechkin currently has 1,608 total points (889 goals, 719 assists) in his professional career. On March 9, Ovechkin became the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,600 points.
Ovechkin scored 42 goals during the 2022-23 season, and has tallied at least 41 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
He made history in 2023-24 when he registered an NHL record 18th 30-goal season, passing Mike Gartner’s 17 for the honor. He’s now up to 19 for his career.
CBS Sports will keep track of Ovechkin’s goals throughout the season and keep tabs on how close he is to eclipsing Gretzky’s all-time record.
