Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is 13 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record

The GIST: If you thought last week’s 4 Nations Face-Off was fun, then feast your eyes on Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who’s now just 13 goals away from breaking the NHL’s all-time career goals record, a mark long held by Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky. History is happening.

The context: Ovechkin is playing in his 20th NHL season and has spent his entire career in D.C., scoring at least 20 goals every single season. After recording a hat trick in yesterday’s 7–3 win over the Edmonton Oilers, he’s lit the lamp a whopping 882 times.

• Gretzky retired in 1999 with 894 goals, a record that’s stood for over 25 years and was considered unbreakable…until Ovi started making headway, that is.

• The Great Eight averages 49 goals per season — the same as Gretzky — though he infamously scores more empty-netters than the legend.

What’s next: Despite breaking his leg and missing 16 games earlier this season, Ovi is on track to smash Gretzky’s record before the playoffs begin in April, and his squad is looking like a lock for the postseason, currently sitting atop the league.

• The Caps have 25 regular-season games to go, and with Ovechkin racing to 895, every single one is appointment viewing, beginning with tomorrow’s 7 p.m. ET contest vs. the Calgary Flames. The definition of can’t-miss.