Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin inched closer to hockey immortality on Wednesday night, scoring his 892nd career goal against the Carolina Hurricanes. With that, he’s now just three goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s legendary all-time record of 894 goals—a number once deemed untouchable.

Despite Ovechkin’s milestone, the Capitals struggled, falling 5-1 to the Hurricanes. Ovechkin nearly added another to his tally but was denied by an impressive point-blank save from Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen during the second period. Later in the same period, Ovechkin found redemption, firing one past Andersen during a 5-on-3 power play.

Ovechkin reflected on the game, saying, "We have a pretty good chance in the second, first shift a breakaway. And in this game, if you have a chance, you have to use it, and I think all goalies play well tonight." Honestly, hearing a scoring machine like Ovechkin acknowledge the goalies’ efforts feels like a rare moment of humility in sports.

The game had all the intensity of a playoff matchup, punctuated by a chaotic third period where eight players were slapped with game misconducts following multiple fights. Ovechkin acknowledged the heated atmosphere, saying, "We understand there's a possibility to see them in the playoffs. It was a playoff atmosphere out there." If Wednesday was any indication, a playoff series between these teams would be pure adrenaline—and probably a lot of penalty minutes.

Currently, Washington and Carolina occupy the top spots in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, with the Capitals at 105 points and the Hurricanes trailing with 96. Both look poised for deep playoff runs.

As for Ovechkin, "The GR8 Chase" continues with seven games left in the regular season. His next opportunities to close the gap on Gretzky’s mark come Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks and Sunday against the New York Islanders. Could he shatter the record by the end of the weekend? Hockey fans everywhere are holding their breath.

Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk summed it up perfectly: "[The record] feels like it's right there. He feels like he's still scoring every night. It’s been huge for us and awesome for him to see that he’s still doing it at this torrid pace." Indeed, Ovechkin’s consistency has been nothing short of jaw-dropping. Gretzky’s record, once a distant dream, is now within arm’s reach.

Washington Capitals News

Alex Ovechkin Scores Career Goal No. 892, Closing in on Wayne Gretzky's Record