Ovechkin scores another big goal for Capitals while closing in on Gretzky

WINNIPEG -- Alex Ovechkin keeps scoring big goals for the Washington Capitals and moving closer to Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record.

Ovechkin would’ve preferred his 889th goal had come in a victory against the Winnipeg Jets in this matchup between the top two teams in the NHL standings that felt very much like a Stanley Cup Playoff game. But though Ovechkin’s goal pulled him within six of surpassing Gretzky’s total of 894 and tied the score with 4:00 left in the third period, he and the Capitals had to settle for one point in the standings in a 3-2 overtime loss at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday.

“In the third, you can see after when we’re down by one we’re kind of trying to make a push and we got rewarded,” Ovechkin said. “But it was a playoff game, like playoff mentality. Physicality was there as well. So, yeah, it was a good one.”

The Capitals (47-15-9), who clinched a playoff berth last Thursday, lead the NHL with 103 points, one more than the Jets (49-19-4), who became the League’s second team to clinch a playoff berth once they earned a point against the Capitals by going to overtime.

The crowd of 15,225 got what they came to see with the Jets winning and Ovechkin scoring. That’s something he often does against the Jets. The 39-year-old left wing has 57 goals in 75 career games against the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers, which is the most by any active player against a franchise.

Ovechkin has 27 goals in 33 games since the team moved to Winnipeg in 2011. That total includes his 600th goal on March 12, 2008, his 801st and 802nd goals, which tied and moved him past Gordie Howe (801) for second in NHL history, on Dec. 23, 2022, and now his 889th goal.

“He came by the bench and gave me the biggest smirk,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel, a former Capitals assistant. “I'm glad he got the goal. I'm glad he's getting closer to whatever that number is. At the end of the day, that's him. It doesn't take much. The puck is on his stick, off his stick.”

This time, that formula produced Ovechkin’s 36th goal of the season and tied the score at 2-2. The Capitals had pushed for much of the third period for the equalizer after Mason Appleton gave the Jets a 2-1 lead with 12 seconds left in the second period.

There hadn’t much open ice for either team to work with for most of the night, but Ovechkin finally found some in his familiar spot in the left circle, taking a cross-ice feed from Aliaksei Protas and snapping a quick shot in past goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s blocker on the short side.

“I think everybody did a good job battling out there and the puck came to [Protas] and he find me,” Ovechkin said. “Yeah, it was a pretty good play by everybody out there.”

It was Ovechkin’s 19th third-period goal this season and the 16th game-tying goal in the final five minutes of regulation in his 20-season NHL career, tying Brendan Shanahan for the fourth most in League history.

“I love to see it,” Capitals center Nic Dowd said. “He’s playing great. He’s our leader. Didn’t surprise me one bit. I think ‘O’s’ probably very concentrated on winning hockey games. The great thing about that is as he scores more goals, we probably win more games.

“So, I don’t think he’s thinking about that stuff right now. He’s just trying to play his best hockey.”

Although Ovechkin’s goal tied the score, there were cheers from the Winnipeg crowd and pockets of fans chanting, “Ovi! Ovi!”

"Obviously, he’s about to become the greatest goal-scorer of all time,” Appleton said. “He's a guy that when you're on him, you're not even really on him. You've got to be in his pocket or you've got to be basically touching him because his release is so lethal. You can't just be fronting him because he can get pucks through or around -- every which way through the guy.

“He's a heck of a goal-scorer, and you give him just a little time and space and he can kill you.”

With 11 games remaining, the spotlight grows more intense on Ovechkin’s quest to overtake Gretzky this season. He’s trying to embrace the added attention, though, and savor the experience.

“It’s a fun time, obviously, but you just have to enjoy it,” he said. “It’s a special moment, obviously. Everybody’s watching, everybody pay attention to this, so yeah.”

The next stop for the Capitals and Ovechkin’s record chase is a visit to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday (7:30 ET; Disney+, MNMT, HULU, ESPN+, TVAS-D, SNP, SNE).

Ovechkin has 20 goals in 24 career games against the Wild, including 15 in 13 games at Xcel Energy Center.

Ovechkin’s 28 goals in 47 games against Minnesota’s Marc-Andre Fleury are his most against any goalie, but it appears likely Filip Gustavsson will start Thursday. Ovechkin has scored twice in three games against Gustavsson.

Regardless of how Ovechkin fares at Minnesota on Thursday, his teammates are enjoying the ride with him.

“It’s kind of a rockstar tour right now a little bit, but he handles it so well,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said. “I’ve been extremely proud to watch him day in and day out, just the pressure, the burden throughout the season to be in the thick of it and taking this on his shoulders while also being the captain of this team and making sure the team is doing well.

“So, it’s a lot of fun. I think everybody’s going to be able to tell their kids about it one day.”