The Washington Capitals entered their road game against the Winnipeg Jets on a hot streak, winning nine of their last 10 games, and becoming the first team to clinch a spot in the playoffs.
The Jets, however, became just the second team to secure a playoff berth after defeating the Capitals 3-2 in overtime at the Canada Life Centre on March 25. While Winnipeg held the lead for most of the game, Capital star Alex Ovechkin scored the equalizer with four minutes left in the third period.
This score marked Ovechkin's 889th career goal. The veteran left wing is now just six goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time scoring record and cementing his name in the league's history books.
Ovechkin's third-period score marked his 36th goal of the season. The Athletic reported, "It’s the second-highest-scoring season by a 39-year-old in NHL history: Ovechkin needs three more to tie Gordie Howe’s record for that age, set in 1967-68."
While Ovechkin is on pace to break Howe's record, the NHL announced Ovechkin reached a historic mark against the Jets.
The league's official public relations account posted , "Ovechkin continued the #TheGr8Chase with a goal in his third straight game vs. the Jets. His 57 career goals versus the Jets/Thrashers are the most by an active player against one franchise (Sidney Crosby: 56 vs. PHI)."
Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey couldn't help but give Ovechkin props ahead of Tuesday's sold-out game. "The consistency of his ability to score is why he’s going to break that record,” Morrissey told reporters on Monday. “What I appreciate about him the most as a player is just the excitement that he brings to the game.
"As an outsider watching him play, if he didn’t have that level of passion and love to score goals — even when you watch him on the bench when his teammates score, he just loves the game. Having known some guys that have played with him, he just brings that energy. For me, that’s what I think of when I think of his career.”
Ovechkin has 11 games left to break Gretzky's all-time scoring record, which has held for 26 years. Next up, the Caps face the Minnesota Wild on March 27.
