But then he left the 6-2 victory against the Utah Hockey Club after absorbing a leg-on-leg collision and didn’t return.
‘He’s being evaluated as we speak and we’ll know more tomorrow,’ coach Spencer Carbery told reporters after the game.
Ovechkin, 39, entered this season needing 42 goals to break Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Capitals star, who had 42 goals two seasons ago, has scored 15 times this season, including five goals in the last two games.
But the injury, depending on the severity, tempers that. If he falls short this season, he has one more season left on his contract.
Here’s where Ovechkin stands in his chase of Gretzky’s goal record:
How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have?
Ovechkin has 868 career goals.
How close is Alex Ovechkin to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record?
Ovechkin needs 27 goals to break Gretzky’s record.
How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have this season?
Ovechkin has a league-leading 15 goals and 10 assists in 18 games. That would put him on pace for 68 goals this season.
What did Alex Ovechkin do in his last game?
Ovechkin had two goals on three shots in Monday’s win in Utah before his injury. His first goal was a wrist shot from between the faceoff circles that beat goalie Connor Ingram in the first period.
It was Ovechkin’s first career goal against Ingram, who became the 178th goalie that he has scored against. That ties Jaromir Jagr’s NHL record.
Ovechkin scored again in the second period, with a one-timer from above the left faceoff circle.
But then he got hurt in the third period.
Alex Ovechkin injury update
Ovechkin was hurt after an accidental leg-on-leg hit from Utah’s Jack McBain. The Capitals captain was slow to get to the bench. He tried during a TV timeout to test out the leg, but wasn’t able to return to the game.
‘You hate to see it,’ teammate Nick Dowd told reporters. ‘He’s been absolutely on fire and he’s huge for our team.’
When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game?
The Capitals’ next game is Thursday at home against the Colorado Avalanche. He has 12 goals in 27 career games against the Avalanche, who held him to an assist last week.
Alex Ovechkin career goal breakdown
Even strength: 547, third overall
Power play: 316, a record
Short-handed: 5
Empty net: 59, a record
Game winners: 132, second overall
Multi-goal games: 177, second overall
Goalies scored against: 178, tied for record
Hat tricks: 31, sixth overall
How did Alex Ovechkin fare last season?
He had an uncharacteristically slow start, including a 14-game goal drought. But he started picking up after the All-Star Game, scoring in six of seven games with another stretch of eight goals in five games and finished with 31. By picking up his 18th 30-goal season, he broke the record he shared with Hall of Famer Mike Gartner. Ovechkin broke Gretzky’s record for empty-net goals and moved into second place all-time with 19 consecutive 20-goal seasons. He also improved to 129 game-winning goals, leaving him six behind record-holder Jagr.
Who are the NHL’s top all-time goal scorers?
The top 20 NHL all-time goal scorers have all topped 600 goals and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby can join them this season. All of the players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin, Crosby and Jagr, who is still playing in Czechia.
1. Wayne Gretzky, 894 goals in 1,487 games
2. Alex Ovechkin, 868 goals in 1,444 games
3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games
4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games
5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games
6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games
7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games
8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games
9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games
10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games
11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games
12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games
13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games
14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games
15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games
16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games
17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games
18. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games
19. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games
20. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games
21. Sidney Crosby, 599 goals in 1,292 games