Alex Ovechkin scored the 877th goal of his career to move 18 away from breaking the NHL record, but the Washington Capitals lost 5-4 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets in a showdown of the top two teams in the NHL that lived up to that billing.

Ovechkin, who is 18 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky ’s all-time record (894), tied the score 4-4 at 12:21 of the third period, scoring on a slap shot from just inside the blue line that went in off Connor Hellebuyck ’s glove. It was Ovechkin’s 24th goal of the season.

Rather than ice a roster merely helping Ovi break Gretzky's record, the Caps have been one of the NHL's best. Here's how they threaded the needle.

Alex Ovechkin scored the 877th goal of his career to move 18 away from breaking the NHL record, but the Washington Capitals lost 5-4 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night in a showdown of the top two teams in the NHL that lived up to that billing.

Ovechkin entered this season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky's record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Washington captain has 23 goals this season, with 31 games left. This season, he moved into second place with 20 consecutive 20-goal seasons and set a record for the number of goalies he has scored against in his career.

With a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, the Washington Capitals extended their winning streak to six games.

OTTAWA -- Alex Ovechkin scored his 876th NHL goal and the Washington Capitals lost 5-4 in overtime to the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.

Alex Ovechkin scored the 877th goal of his career to move 18 away from breaking the NHL record, but the Washington Capitals lost 5-4 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night in a showdown of the NHL's top two teams that lived up to the billing.