After making his return from injury, Alex Ovechkin got right back to work scoring goals amid the Washington Capitals' tremendous start to the season 2024-25 NHL season.
With another really hot run of form, the Great Eight's chase of Wayne Gretzky's hallowed record of 894 goals — the top of the mountain among all-time career goal scorers — continues to be within reach this season if things continue to go his way.
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Here the eight goals Ovi scored for the Capitals since returning from injury:
Career Goal No. 869, No. 870
In his return to the ice after missing 16 games due to a broken bone in his leg, Ovechkin put the icing on the cake of a 5-2 win in Toronto over the Maple Leafs with an empty net goal (assists from Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois) to give him 16 on the season. The very next night, Ovechkin got his 17th of the season (from Jakob Chychrun and Connor McMichael), but the Caps fell 4-2 in Detroit.
Career Goal No. 871
The Capitals tasted defeat in a shootout 4-3 to the Minnesota Wild, but in the second period, Ovi on the power play scored his 18th of the campaign (assist to Dylan Strome) to level the score at 2-2.
Career Goal No. 872
With the struggling New York Rangers in town, the Capitals raced to a 3-1 lead that turned to a 4-3 game midway through the third period. That's when Ovi netted his 19th on the year (Strome assist) to help keep Washington ahead en route to a 7-4 victory.
Career Goal No. 873
After three straight games without a goal, the Great 8 bagged another empty net goal, this time of the unassisted variety to give him 20 on the year – the 20th straight season he has scored at least 20 goals – in a 4-1 win at the Nashville Predators
Career Goal No. 874
After playing 60 minutes of goalless hockey in Ottawa, Ovechkin called game (assist from Rasmus Sandin) to give Washington a 1-0 overtime win over the Senators.
Career Goal No. 875
The cake needed icing as the Caps earned a win over the Seattle Kraken and Ovechkin provided that with an empty net goal with just under four minutes to play in the third period (assists from Trevor van Riemsdyk, Chychrun) to give him 22 on the year and Washington a 3-0 win.
Career Goal No. 876
After falling behind 3-1 in the second period and 4-2 in the third, Ovi cashed in a power play chance (Protas and McMichael) for his 23rd goal of the year to help earn Washingon a point in an eventual 5-4 overtime defeat.
