Alex Ovechkin scored two goals for the Capitals on Monday night, closing down the distance to top scorer Wayne Gretzky before leaving the ice with a leg injury.
Alex Ovechkin Closes Gap To Wayne Gretzky
On Monday night Alex Ovechkin scored another two goals for the Capitals, as he continues to chase Wayne Gretzky down at the top of the all time top scorers leaderboard.
Ovechkin is now on 868 NHL goals, just 26 scores behind the legendary Gretzky who finished his career on a record 894.
Gretzky’s record gets closer and closer for Ovechkin with every game he plays and he has now scored 15 goals for the Capitals in his first 18 games this year.
Alex Ovechkin is LEADING the entire NHL in goals this season
He’s 39 years old @spittinchiclets
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 19, 2024
The Russian is on a record scoring pace this year and he is well on track to break Gretzky’s scoring record this season if injuries don’t hold up the 39-year-old.
But after scoring another two against Utah on Monday, Ovechkin did face injury trouble, as he was involved in a heavy collision with Jack McBain that saw their knees collide.
Ovechkin immediately left the ice after smashing his knee against McBain, heading straight down the tunnel without returning to the game.
Although Ovechkin didn’t speak to reporters after coming off injured, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery spoke about the kind of leader his player is and how much he’ll be missed while he is injured.
Ovi needs help back to the bench after this collision pic.twitter.com/gJES90naMw
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 19, 2024
“He’s been phenomenal this year, leading the charge and our team, not only from a leadership standpoint and in the locker room, but on the ice as well,” Carbery said. “In times where you need these types of games, you need guys to step up and score or make a big play, he’s continued to do that.”
The Capitals next face Colorado on Thursday night, but their top scorer is unlikely to feature after the nasty knock he picked up on Monday.