Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin. Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Watch: Alex Ovechkin joins illustrious list with 20th goal of season

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Jan 11, 2025 10:59 PM ET

Just when fans were beginning to think Alex Ovechkin's stick was going cold, the Washington Capitals captain reminded them he's still on the road to history.

"The Great Eight," as he's affectionately called, blocked a shot and then took the puck down the ice to score an empty-net goal in the third period Saturday against the Nashville Predators, sealing a 4-1 win for Washington on the road.

ALEX OVECHKIN WITH THE SHOT BLOCK BEFORE THE EMPTY NETTER FOR GOAL 873 pic.twitter.com/q1eWINvART
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 12, 2025

Ovechkin's late tally bumped his season total to 20, marking the 20th straight year in his career that he's logged at least that much.

He becomes just the third player in NHL history to achieve that feat, joining all-time legends Gordie Howe (22 straight seasons) and Ron Francis (20).

Now sitting at 874 career goals and counting, the Russian star is just 22 from passing Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky for most all-time (894).

Having not scored in his previous three games played, Ovechkin may have had some worried he would fall off his blistering pace that would see him break Gretzky's record by the end of this season.

Now seemingly back on track (0.74 goals-per-game), Ovechkin is on track to make history sometime in April. If he were to fall just short, he still has a whole other season under contract with Washington in 2025-26 to smash the mark.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

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