Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin scores 801st, 802nd goals to pass Gordie Howe for second-most all time

Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin made history Friday night, scoring career goals no. 801 and 802 to move past Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list in the Capitals’ 4-1 win over Winnipeg. Here’s what you need to know:

• Ovechkin scored first during the first period of the game against Jets goalie David Rittich.
• His second goal of the game came on an empty-netter in the game’s final minute.
• Ovechkin became just the third player in NHL history to reach 800 career goals, doing so on his third goal of a hat trick on Dec. 13.
• Ovechkin now has 22 goals and 19 assists through 35 games of the 2022-23 season.
• Wayne Gretzky’s 894 career goals is the most in NHL history.

Backstory

Ovechkin, 37, continues to be one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers even in the twilight years of his career.

Ovechkin is a nine-time winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s leading goal scorer, along with winning the Hart Trophy three times and the Ted Lindsay Award three times. He has tallied 50 goals in a season nine times, tying him with Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most all-time. The 12-time All-Star notched his 18th, 19th and 20th goals of the year against the Blackhawks on Dec. 13, reaching the 20-goal mark for his 18th straight season — in just his 31st game.

In his rookie NHL season (2005-06), Ovechkin finished third in scoring (106) and goals (52). He led all rookies in goals, points, shots and power-play goals. In 2018, his 13th season in the league, Ovechkin captured his first Stanley Cup.

Ovechkin now trails only Gretzky’s mark of 894 career goals. The next active player behind Ovechkin on the all-time list is Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby with 534.

Can Ovechkin catch ‘The Great One’?

It’s been a foregone conclusion for a while that Ovechkin would pass Howe. The question everyone has now is this: can he stay productive enough to leapfrog Gretzky? At first blush, my response is, “Of course he will.”

Take a closer look, though, and it’s not hard to see some potential stumbling blocks that he may have to overcome to get there. For one, he’s 37. And although he’s managed to stay (mostly) healthy and productive in recent years, Father Time is undefeated. Another concern I have is whether Ovechkin will be surrounded by enough talent to ensure he gets there. The Caps are in a precarious position; they’ve got an aging core, more than a dozen free agents and are currently loitering on the periphery of the playoff picture. If things go south, GM Brian MacLellan might have to make some tough decisions like going younger with an eye on the future.

In the end, I suspect Ovechkin passes Gretzky and it happens sometime during the 2024-25 season. But as everyone eventually learns: the future is not promised. — El-Bashir

All-time NHL goals leaders

Below are the top 10 players on the NHL’s all-time goals list (*= active player)

692

Ovechkin ties Howe at No. 2 for career goals: How he got here