Capitals' Alex Ovechkin NHL All-Time Goals tracker

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There's a new No. 2 on the NHL's all-time goals list.

Alex Ovechkin surpassed Gordie Howe for second place with career goal Nos. 801 and 802 in the Washington Capitals' 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.

Ovechkin, who hadn't scored in his previous four games, first pulled into a tie with Howe on a goal inside the first two minutes at Capital One Arena. Then, with just one minute remaining in regulation, he took over sole possession of second from the Detroit Red Wings legend on an empty-netter.

Ovechkin, who entered the 2022-2023 season having scored 780 over his 17 seasons, now has just one more legend to catch in Wayne Gretzky. The Capitals captain is fewer than 100 goals away from breaking Gretzky's once-believed-to-be unbreakable scoring record of 894 goals. 

As Ovechkin chases history, here's a look at each of his goals this season...

801, 802 -- A two-goal effort to surpass Howe...

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798, 799, 800 -- Ovechkin became just the third player in NHL history to reach the 800-goal milestone with a hat trick in the Caps' 7-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 13

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797 -- Ovechkin scored in his third straight game with an empty net goal in the Capitals' 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

796 -- Ovechkin scored his 796th goal during the third period in a matchup against the Seattle Kraken, which took place on Dec. 9 and resulted in a 4-1 win.

794, 795 -- The star scored two empty net goals during a matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 7.

792, 793 -- Ovechkin scored his next two goals in the first period of a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

791 -- A goal against the Calgary Flames added to Ovechkin's total after he was by assisted by Conor Sheary and Sonny Milano in the third period.

790 -- The legend scored his 790th goal in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers after being assisted by Dylan Strome and Erik Gustafsson.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

With 802 career goals, Ovechkin has recorded nine 50-goal seasons, matching the record shared by Gretzky and New York Islanders legend Mike Bossy. 

Last season, Ovechkin became the oldest player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season.

He also tied Gretzky's record with his 12th 40-goal season.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to pass Wayne Gretzky?

The Great 8 needs 93 goals to break The Great One’s record, which has stood since 1999. 

Gretzky passed Howe during his 15th season in 1994 with the 802nd goal of his career and finished his career in 1999 with 894.

If Ovechkin remains healthy and continues to score at his typical rate, he could surpass Gretzky perhaps as early as the end of the 2023-2024 season. 

When did Alex Ovechkin score his first goal?

Ovechkin, who was the first pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, wasted little time finding the back of the net. 

He scored two goals during the second period of his first NHL game in the Capitals’ 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 5, 2005. He finished the season with 52 goals and 54 assists. It was the third-most goals scored by a rookie, trailing Teemu Selanne (76) and Mike Bossy (53). 

What are the most goals Alex Ovechkin has scored in a season? 

Ovechkin had a career-best 65 goals in his third season, the only time he has reached the 60-goal milestone in a single season. Many had done it before him, with 23 other 65-plus goal seasons having been recorded in NHL history. 

The record for most goals in one season? You guessed it, Wayne Gretzky, who scored 92 goals during the 1981-1982 season. Only three players have reached the 80-goal plateau: Gretzky, who also did so in 1983-1984 with 87 goals; Brett Hull, who had 86 goals in 1990-1991; and Mario Lemieux, with 85 goals in 1988-1989.  

Who is the NHL's all-time leading scorer?

Here’s a look at the NHL's top 25 goal scorers of all time:

1. Wayne Gretzky: 894

2. Alex Ovechkin: 802

3. Gordie Howe: 801

4. Jaromir Jagr: 766

5. Brett Hull: 741

6. Marcel Dionne: 731

7. Phil Esposito: 717

8. Mike Gartner: 708

9. Mark Messier: 694

10. Steve Yzerman: 692

11. Mario Lemieux: 690

12. Teemu Selanne: 684

13. Luc Robitaille: 668

14. Brendan Shanahan: 656

15. Dave Andreychuk: 640

T-16. Joe Sakic: 625

T-16. Jarome Iginla: 625

18. Bobby Hull: 610

19. Dino Ciccarelli: 608

20. Jari Kurri: 601

21. Mark Recchi: 577

22. Mike Bossy: 573

23. Patrick Marleau: 566

T-24. Joe Nieuwendyk: 564

T-24. Mats Sundin: 564

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