With the East-leading Capitals attempting a surge, Tampa Bay’s Gage Goncalves scored on a shot through traffic to give Tampa Bay a two-goal lead with 13:52 left in what finished as a 3-1

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) wears a special helmet decal in support of the figure skating community and all those affected by the Flight 5342 tragedy during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning,

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is closing in on the NHL goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin has 884 goals and needs 10 to tie and 11 to break the record. Ovechkin entered the season 42 short of breaking the regular-season record by “The Great One” that had long seemed unapproachable.

Washington avoided a shutout when Ovechkin scored late to move within 11 goals of surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record, but Tampa Bay prevailed, 3-1.

Alex Ovechkin scored the 884th goal of his NHL career late in the Washington Capitals’ 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, moving within 10 of tying Wayne Gretzky’s record.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Washington Capitals NHL game from March 1, 2025 on ESPN.

Ovechkin is on the verge of becoming the NHL's all-time goals leader, and he can pass Gretzky's mark of 894 before the end of season. The Capitals standout currently has 884 career goals after scoring Washington's only goal in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon.

Alex Ovechkin scored the 884th goal of his NHL career to move 10 away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s record. The Washington Capitals captain beat fellow Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning with four minutes left in the third period on Saturday.

Alex Ovechkin scored the 884th goal of his NHL career to move 10 away from tying Wayne Gretzky's record. The Washington Capitals captain beat fellow Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning with four minutes left in the third period on Saturday.

Ovechkin is on the verge of becoming the NHL's all-time goals leader, and he can pass Gretzky's mark of 894 before the end of season. The Capitals standout currently has 883 career goals after scoring Washington's only goal in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is one of the most heralded players in NHL history. The legendary forward already has a ton of records on the NHL history books, but he's still chasing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record.