Ovechkin wasn’t ready to talk postgame about being ready for his close-up in the state where Gretzky’s impact is still felt. The trade that sent Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to Los Angeles in 1988 opened the gateway for the NHL to add expansion teams in Anaheim and San Jose.

The 39-year-old Ovechkin is within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record of 894. "The Great One" scored his final goal on March 29, 1999. "The Great Eight" could very well surpass that mark 26 years later.

Gordie Howe (801) 4. Jaromir Jagr (766 ... slotting the puck in an empty net against the Florida Panthers. Alexander Ovechkin scores an empty-netter with 0.1 left to give him his 878th goal ...

Alex Ovechkin scored his first goal of the afternoon against the Edmonton Oilers and the 880 th of his career, he skated to the glass at a raucous Capital One Arena and fist-bumped a little boy through it.

For the first time in his career, there is no one between Ovechkin and Gretzky on the all-time list. He passed Gordie Howe for second place in 2022-23, breaking Gretzky's record for the most 40 ...

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is closing ... and Jaromir Jagr (766), scored goal No. 802 on Dec. 23, 2022, to move past Gordie Howe and into second behind Gretzky (894).