Alexander Ovechkin Closes in on Wayne Gretzky's Record with 31st Goal of the Season

Image credits: TVA SPORTS

Alexander Ovechkin is getting closer to breaking Wayne Gretzky's record for most goals in the NHL. He scored his 31st goal of the season, bringing his total to 884 goals, just 11 shy of Gretzky's record of 894. Ovechkin's goal came in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it was a significant milestone in his pursuit of the record. If he maintains his current pace, Ovechkin could break the record on April 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Lightning's win was their eighth in a row, and it helped them stay in the hunt for the division title. Mitchell Chaffee and Gage Goncalves scored the first two goals for the Lightning, and Brandon Hagel added an empty-net goal to seal the win. Nikita Kucherov had an assist and has now had at least one point in each of his last 10 games. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves for the Lightning, while Logan Thompson allowed two goals on 18 shots for the Capitals.

In other NHL news, the Boston Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2, with David Pastrnak scoring a goal and adding an assist. The win came at a cost, however, as captain Brad Marchand left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury. The Bruins' win snapped a five-game losing streak, and Pastrnak's goal was his 15th of the season. Mason Lohrei and Charlie Coyle also scored for the Bruins, while Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves.

The Florida Panthers beat the Calgary Flames 3-0, with Sergei Bobrovsky making 23 saves for his third shutout of the season. Jonah Gadjovich, Evan Rodrigues, and Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Panthers, who have now won three games in a row. The Panthers have taken over first place in the Atlantic Division, ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dan Vladar made 42 saves for the Flames, who have lost two games in a row.

Here are the current standings in the NHL:

• Atlantic Division:
  1. Panthers
  2. Maple Leafs
  3. Lightning
• Metropolitan Division:
  1. Capitals
  2. Devils
  3. Penguins

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1, with Adam Henrique and Corey Perry scoring goals. Evan Bouchard added an empty-net goal, and Calvin Pickard made 35 saves for the Oilers. Connor McDavid had an assist and has now had 700 points in his career, reaching the milestone in just 699 games. Sebastian Aho scored the only goal for the Hurricanes, who have lost six of their last eight games.

Alexander Ovechkin's pursuit of the record is a significant story in the NHL, and it will be interesting to see if he can break the record before the end of the season. With his consistent scoring and the Capitals' strong team play, Ovechkin has a good chance of making history. The pressure is on, but Ovechkin has shown that he can handle it, and his dedication to the sport is evident in his play.

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