CNN
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is on the verge of history. He is just 13 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s legendary NHL record.
This past Sunday, Ovechkin scored his 32nd career hat trick, leading the Capitals to a 7-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. He found the net twice during the second period and added an empty-net goal in the third. So far this season, he has tallied 29 goals in 41 games.
After the game, Ovechkin shared how special it was to celebrate this milestone with his family present. “It means a lot. The kids love hockey,” he said. The win was important as he faced off against some of the best players in the league. “It’s nice to get a couple of goals. I’m pretty sure they are going to be happy.”
Ovechkin has scored 882 career goals, including 200 since January 2020. Remarkably, he is the first player to score at least 200 goals in three different decades. If he keeps up his pace, he could break Gretzky’s record on April 4 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Capitals are currently the top team in the NHL and have extended their home point streak to 16 games, with a record of 11 wins and 5 overtime losses. Their next game is against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
