THE GR8 CHASE: Ovechkin scores goal No. 885, now 10 from breaking NHL record

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scored his 885th NHL goal Wednesday against the New York Rangers, moving him within 10 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. As Ovechkin closes in on the record, we’ll detail each goal he scores along with the corresponding goal from Gretzky. Here is the latest:

Goal No. 885

Alex Ovechkin

Date: March 5, 2025
Site: Madison Square Garden
Opposing goalie: Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Time of goal: 10:28 of the third period
Summary: After Connor McMichael won a face-off in the offensive zone, he got the puck along the right-side boards and sent a centering pass between his legs to the net. Andrew Mangiapane helped the puck along to Ovechkin, who crashed the net to score with a snap shot from in front on the power play.
Next game: vs. Detroit Red Wings on Friday (7:30 p.m.; SN, TVAS, BSDET, MNMT)

Wayne Gretzky

Date: April 15, 1998
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Opposing goalie: Empty net vs. New York Islanders
Time of goal: 19:13 of the third period
Summary: Gretzky scored into an empty net to clinch the New York Rangers’ 4-2 victory against the rival Islanders. It was Gretzky’s 23rd goal of the season, tying Pat Lafontaine for the Rangers’ lead, and the 56th and final empty-net goal of his career. That total stood as the NHL record until Ovechkin scored his 57th empty-netter against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 10, 2024.

Goal No. 884

Alex Ovechkin

Date: March 1, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena
Opposing goalie: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Time of goal: 16:01 of the third period
Summary: With the Capitals down by two goals, Ovechkin collected a loose puck in the slot and sent a wrist shot past Vasilevskiy to cut it to 2-1. It was his 31st goal of the season.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: April 7, 1998
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Opposing goalie: Jocelyn Thibault, Montreal Canadiens
Time of goal: 7:34 of the second period
Summary: Gretzky had a goal and an assist in the New York Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Canadiens to move into second in the NHL with 86 points (22 goals, 64 assists) for the season. Gretzky’s breakaway goal on the power play gave New York a 1-0 lead. After taking a long pass up the middle from Niklas Sundstrom, Gretzky moved into the high slot before winding up for a slap shot that beat Thibault past his catching glove and went in under the crossbar.

Goal No. 883

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Feb. 25, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena
Opposing goalie: Dan Vladar, Calgary Flames
Time of goal: 4:52 of the third period
Summary: Ovechkin took a pass from John Carlson on the power play and scored short side on Vladar with a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: April 1, 1998
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Opposing goalie: Byron Dafoe, Boston Bruins
Time of goal: 0:39 of the third period
Summary: Gretzky finished a rush play with Niklas Sundstrom and Alexei Kovalev to score his 21st goal of the season and cut the New York Rangers’ deficit to 3-2. After carrying the puck over Boston’s blue line, Gretzky passed to Kovalev, who pushed it ahead to Sundstrom. Gretzky got the puck back from Sundstrom and took a slap shot from the inside edge of the left circle that went under Dafoe’s right arm and off his jersey before trickling into the net. Anson Carter’s empty-net goal at 19:42 sealed Boston’s 4-2 victory, though.

Goal No. 882

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Feb. 23, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena
Opposing goalie: Empty-net goal
Time of goal: 17:22 of the third period
Summary: With the Oilers opting to pull goalie Calvin Pickard down by three goals, Ovechkin collected the puck in his own zone and shot it down the ice into a vacant net to complete a hat trick and give the Capitals a 7-3 lead. It was his 29th goal of the season.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: March 22, 1998
Site: CoreStates Center, Philadelphia
Opposing goalie: Sean Burke, Philadelphia Flyers
Time of goal: 18:18 of the third period
Summary: Gretzky scored his second goal of the game and 20th of the season to tie it 4-4 and force overtime for the New York Rangers. Gretzky took a pass from Brian Leetch out of the corner and beat Burke from the right circle to complete his NHL-record 189th and final multigoal game of his career. Gretzky also had an assist, but the Flyers won 5-4 when Shjon Podein scored at 4:39 of overtime.

Goal No. 881

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Feb. 23, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena
Opposing goalie: Calvin Pickard, Edmonton Oilers
Time of goal: 18:39 of the second period
Summary: With the Capitals on a power play, Ovechkin one-timed a feed from Jakob Chychrun in the left face-off circle past Pickard for his second goal in 9:46 and 28th of the season to give Washington a 4-1 lead.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: March 22, 1998
Site: CoreStates Center, Philadelphia
Opposing goalie: Sean Burke, Philadelphia Flyers
Time of goal: 19:09 of the second period
Summary: Gretzky tied it 3-3 for the New York Rangers with 50.2 seconds remaining in the second. With the teams skating 4-on-4, Gretzky took a pass from Alexei Kovalev and beat Burke past his right arm with a one-timer from the high slot. Gretzky finished with three points (two goals, one assist), including another tying goal with 1:42 left in the third period, but the Flyers won 5-4 in overtime.

Goal No. 880

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Feb. 23, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena
Opposing goalie: Calvin Pickard, Edmonton Oilers
Time of goal: 8:53 of the second period
Summary: Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 3-1 lead when he took a drop pass from Dylan Strome and ripped a wrist shot from between the face-off circles past Pickard for his 27th of the season.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: March 11, 1998
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Opposing goalie: Kelly Hrudey, San Jose Sharks
Time of goal: 8:45 of the second period
Summary: Gretzky had three points (one goal, two assists) for the New York Rangers in a 5-3 victory, including his 18th goal of the season to tie it 2-2. With the Rangers on 5-on-3 power play, Gretzky took a pass from Alexei Kovalev and paused briefly before winding up and letting go a slap shot from the bottom of the right circle that beat Hrudey under his catching glove on the short side. It extended Gretzky’s goal streak to four games (five goals).

Goal No. 879

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Feb. 6, 2025
Site: Wells Fargo Center
Opposing goalie: Ivan Fedotov, Philadelphia Flyers
Time of goal: 19:07 of the first period
Summary: Ovechkin pushed the puck up ice with a stretch pass out of the defensive zone, then received a return pass from Martin Fehevary and snapped a shot past Fedotov, going far side from the right circle.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: March 9, 1998
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Opposing goalie: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
Time of goal: 18:55 of the third period
Summary: Gretzky got a fortunate bounce to score with 1:05 remaining and give the New York Rangers a 2-2 tie in the second game of a home-and-home series with the Devils. Gretzky’s attempted centering pass to Kevin Stevens from behind the net deflected up off the stick of New Jersey defenseman Lyle Odelein and bounced off the chest of New Jersey center Bobby Carpenter in front before floating in over Brodeur’s shoulder. That extended Gretzky’s goal streak to three games (four goals) and gave him 17 for the season.

Goal No. 878

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Feb. 4, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena
Opposing goalie: Empty-net goal, Florida Panthers
Time of goal: 19:59 of the third period
Summary: Ovechkin fired in a shot from the red line into the empty net that crossed the goal line in the final second of the game.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: March 7, 1998
Site: Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Opposing goalie: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
Time of goal: 15:29 of the second period
Summary: Gretzky scored his 1,000th goal in the NHL, including 122 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and 16th of the season in the New York Rangers’ 6-3 loss to their Hudson River rivals. With the Rangers on the power play, Gretzky threw the puck in front from the right corner, and it banked in off Brodeur’s skate to tie the score at 3-3. The Devils pulled away, however, with three unanswered goals in the third period.

Goal No. 877

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Feb. 1, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena
Opposing goalie: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Time of goal: 12:21 of the third period
Summary: Ovechkin launched a slap shot from just inside the blue line that went in off Hellebuyck’s glove to tie the game 4-4.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: March 4, 1998
Site: Miami Arena, Miami
Opposing goalie: Kevin Weekes, Florida Panthers
Time of goal: 6:58 of the third period
Summary: Gretzky’s second power-play goal of the game stood up as the game-winner in the New York Rangers’ 4-3 victory. He batted in the rebound of Brian Leetch’s slap shot at the left post for his 15th goal of the season and 188th multi-goal game of his career. Gretzky had three points in the win, including an assist Niklas Sundstrom’s goal that gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead 28 seconds into the third period.

Goal No. 876

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Jan. 30, 2025
Site: Canadian Tire Centre
Opposing goalie: Anton Forsberg, Ottawa Senators
Time of goal: 13:01 of the third period
Summary: With the Capitals on a power play, Ovechkin skated left to right to get to center ice inside the blue line and snapped a wrist shot off the right post.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: March 4, 1998
Site: Miami Arena, Miami
Opposing goalie: Kevin Weekes, Florida Panthers
Time of goal: 19:18 of the first period
Summary: Gretzky scored the first of his two power-play goals in the game with 41.4 seconds remaining in the first period to tie the score at 1-1 for the New York Rangers. Making his third NHL start, Weekes, a 22-year-old rookie, stopped the initial backhand shot by Brian Leetch, but Gretzky knocked in the rebound for his 14th goal of the season, ending a 10-game goal drought. Gretzky’s second power-play goal at 6:58 of the third period was the game-winner in New York’s 4-3 victory.

Goal No. 875

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Jan. 23, 2025
Site: Climate Pledge Arena
Opposing goalie: Empty net vs. Seattle Kraken
Time of goal: 16:32 of the third period
Summary: Ovechkin fired the puck three-quarters the length of the ice from just inside his own blue line along the boards.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: Jan. 24, 1998
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Opposing goalie: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
Time of goal: 15:31 of the first period
Summary: Gretzky had three points (one goal, two assists) in a 3-3 tie against the Devils. The Rangers were on the power play when Gretzky tipped a Pat LaFontaine shot past Brodeur for his 13th goal of the season, cutting the Devils’ lead to 2-1.

Goal No. 874

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Jan. 16, 2025
Site: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
Opposing goalie: Leevi Merilainen, Ottawa Senators
Time of goal: 3:07 of overtime
Summary: Ovechkin took a short pass from Rasmus Sandin on a 2-on-1, skated to the top of the left circle, and roofed a shot over the blocker of Merilainen to give the Capitals a 1-0 victory. Merilainen is the 179th different goalie Ovechkin has scored against, passing Jaromir Jagr (178) for the most in NHL history.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: Jan. 3, 1998
Site: MCI Center, Washington
Opposing goalie: Olie Kolzig, Washington Capitals
Time of goal: 19:38 of the third period
Summary: Gretzky scored his second goal of the game with 21.5 seconds remaining in regulation to complete the New York Rangers’ comeback from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 victory. After receiving a pass from Niklas Sundstrom, Gretzky deked Capitals defenseman Calle Johansson to the ice before cutting to the middle and beating Kolzig glove side for his 12th goal of the season.

Goal No. 873

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Jan. 11, 2025
Site: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
Opposing goalie: None (empty net)
Time of goal: 19:01 of the third period
Summary: Ovechkin blocked a shot near the blue line, retrieved the rebound and scored into an empty net with 59 seconds remaining in the third period for his 873rd goal in a 4-1 win against the Predators.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: Jan. 3, 1998
Site: MCI Center, Washington
Opposing goalie: Olie Kolzig, Washington Capitals
Time of goal: 4:53 of the second period
Summary: Gretzky began the New York Rangers’ comeback from a 2-0 deficit by scoring his 11th goal of the season. Bruce Driver’s shot from the left point deflected off teammate Darren Langdon to Gretzky at the right edge of the crease, where he knocked the puck in behind Kolzig. Gretzky scored his 874th goal with 21.5 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory.

Goal No. 872

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Jan. 4, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena, Washington
Opposing goalie: Jonathan Quick, New York Rangers
Time of goal: 10:50 of the third period
Summary: After a face-off in the Rangers zone, the puck went off defenseman K'Andre Miller’s skate and landed on the stick of Ovechkin, who backhanded a shot underneath Quick’s right pad to give the Capitals a 5-3 lead.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: Dec. 28, 1997
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Opposing goalie: Byron Dafoe, Boston Bruins
Time of goal: 14:42 of the first period
Summary: Gretzky ended an 11-game goal drought to pull the New York Rangers even at 1-1. After Dafoe stopped Gretzky’s initial shot on a 3-on-2 rush, Gretzky circled behind the net and banked the puck in off Dafoe for his 10th goal of the season. The Rangers went on to win 4-3 on Brian Skrudland’s goal with 23 seconds remaining in the third period.

Goal No. 871

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Jan. 2, 2025
Site: Capital One Arena, Washington
Opposing goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury, Minnesota Wild
Time of goal: 15:08 of the second period
Summary: Ovechkin scored a power-play goal, his 18th goal of the season, with a wrist shot through traffic from above the left circle to tie the game 2-2. It was Ovechkin's 28th goal in 47 games (46 starts) against Fleury, his most against any goalie.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: Dec. 2, 1997
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Opposing goalie: Olie Kolzig, Washington Capitals
Time of goal: 19:53 of the second period
Summary: Gretzky scored his ninth goal of the season by one-timing a one-handed centering pass from Kevin Stevens past Kolzig to pull the New York Rangers even at 2-2. The Capitals won 3-2 on Joe Juneau’s goal at 3:45 of overtime.

Goal No. 870

Alex Ovechkin

Date: Dec. 29, 2024
Site: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
Opposing goalie: Alex Lyon, Detroit Red Wings
Time of goal: 12:04 of the first period
Summary: Ovechkin scored with a one-timer from the left face-off circle off a pass from Jakob Chychrun, cutting the Red Wings lead to 2-1. It was Ovechkin’s 17th goal in 20 games this season.

Wayne Gretzky

Date: Nov. 28, 1997
Site: Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo
Opposing goalie: Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
Time of goal: 6:14 of the third period
Summary: Gretzky took a pass ahead from Niklas Sundstrom and stepped into a slap shot from outside the left circle face-off dot that went in over Hasek’s left shoulder to give the New York Rangers a 3-2 lead. It was Gretzky’s eighth goal of the season and the last of his 27 career goals against Buffalo. The Sabres rallied for a 3-3 tie.