Alex Ovechkin Inches Closer to Wayne Gretzky's Scoring Record With Game-Winner in OT

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin celebrates after scoring an overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin celebrates after scoring an overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators / Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images
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Alex Ovechkin continues to gain ground on Wayne Gretzky in his pursuit of The Great One's all-time scoring record. The 39-year-old netted his 21st goal of the season during overtime on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, registering the first and last goal of the game.

Both goaltenders were at their best on Thursday, with neither team able to score a single goal throughout the entire 60 minutes of regulation. Ovechkin took matters into his own hands during his lone shift of the five-minute overtime period, burying the game-winner with just under two minutes left on the clock.

The goal was the No. 874 of Ovechkin's career, and he now sits just 20 goals shy of tying and 21 goals from breaking Gretzky's longstanding record of 894 goals.

Ovechkin missed a month of action after suffering a fractured leg, but he's been dominant every time he's on the ice. He has 21 goals in 29 games this season, including five on the power play. Ovechkin and Washington will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, Jan. 18, where he'll look to further reduce the gap between himself and the iconic No. 99.


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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.