Alex Ovechkin nets hat trick to move 13 shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL’s goals record

Wayne Sterling, CNN.com

CNN (CNN.com) — Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is 13 goals away from breaking Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record.

Ovechkin recorded his 32nd career hat trick Sunday in the Washington Capitals 7-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

The star forward scored twice in the second period and added an empty netter in the third at the Capital One Arena in the nation’s capital. He has 29 goals in 41 games this season.
After the contest, Ovechkin was asked how it feels to share the chase record with his family in attendance.

“It means a lot. The kids love hockey,” he said. “Obviously, we played against one of the best teams in the league, two best players out there. It’s nice to get a win. It’s nice to get a couple of goals. I’m pretty sure they are going to be happy.”

The 39-year-old Russian has netted 882 career goals, 200 of which since January 1, 2020. He is the first player in league history to score at least 200 goals in three different decades.

According to the NHL, Ovechkin is on pace to pass Gretzky on April 4 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Washington, who currently has the best record in the NHL, extended its home point streak to 16 games (11-0-5), the second longest in franchise history

The Capitals host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.