The 39-year-old winger took a pass from Rasmus Sandin on a 2-on-1 breakaway and fired it past rookie Leevi Merilainen, the record 179th goaltender he's scored on.

Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist, Ethen Frank got his first NHL goal and the Washington Capitals beat the Nashville Predators 4-1. Tom Wilson and Andrew Mangiapane also scored for the Capitals.

Mangiapane made it 3-1 with 5:06 remaining, and Ovechkin scored career goal No. 873 with an empty-netter with 58 seconds left after blocking a shot and going the length of the ice. Ovechkin is 21 goals shy of tying Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record.

Alex Ovechkin scored with 1:53 left in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 1-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Ovechkin, 39, entered the season 42 short of breaking Gretzky's career record of 894 goals. The Russian, in his 20th NHL season, was on pace to get to 895 in February before breaking his left leg in a shin-on-shin collision in November. He missed 16 games but resumed his pursuit after the Christmas break.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist, Ethen Frank got his first NHL goal and the Washington Capitals beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Saturday night. Tom Wilson and Andrew Mangiapane also scored for the Capitals. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots as the Capitals won for the second time in three games.

Is there a genuine debate about who should back up Linus Ullmark when he's healthy enough to play again? Could the Senators lean on both?

OTTAWA -- Alex Ovechkin scored his 874th NHL goal at 3:07 of overtime, giving the Washington Capitals a 1-0 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.

The Ottawa Senators fell short against the NHL-leading Washington Capitals in Thursday's 1-0 overtime loss, but proved they can hold their own against the best.

Ovechkin’s goal was the 874th of his career, moving him within 20 of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record ... generated many chances in regulation. Andrew Mangiapane had a great chance in the third ...

Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL record for the most goaltenders scored on, beating Leevi Merilainen in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 1-0 victory at the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

The Capitals won't have any lineup changes, as they stick with what's worked for them and look for Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin to rediscover the spark they had at 5-on-5. Logan Thompson will get the start, making his fifth consecutive appearance between the pipes.