WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Alex Ovechkin scored his 886th career goal into an empty net Sunday to move nine back of breaking .
Ovechkin backhanded the puck in from center ice with 1:29 left in the third period to seal the over the Seattle Kraken that extended their winning streak to four games.
鈥淗e鈥檚 still getting a couple of looks here and there, but he鈥檚 finding ways to score,鈥� linemate Dylan Strome said. "It鈥檚 what he鈥檚 done his whole career and especially this year. He鈥檚 getting to the right areas. And obviously when the goalie is pulled, we鈥檙e all thinking it. I鈥檓 sure everyone else is thinking it, too. It鈥檚 still a pretty skilled play to go backhand through a guy鈥檚 leg or stick and find a way to score that. Nine more.鈥�
It was Ovechkin's league-leading eighth empty-netter of the season and 65th of his career, which is the most of any player in NHL history.
Fans chanted, 鈥淥vi! Ovi!鈥� as the red, white and blue goal counter that was unveiled in one corner of Capital One Arena earlier in the week flipped from 885 to 886.
鈥淲e all know what鈥檚 happening and how historic it is,鈥� Strome said. "It鈥檚 incredible. We obviously want to get him on the ice. He does a great job of finding ways to get open. I know Carbs said it a couple of weeks ago, but he goes to where the puck is going to be and the right spots and those are huge goals.鈥�
The 39-year-old鈥檚 33rd goal of the season was also the 1,600th point of his two-decade career. He is the 11th player reach that mark and the second active after Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
鈥淲hat I鈥檝e learned with 鈥極鈥� is you never underestimate 鈥� or even when he鈥檚 off a little bit and it doesn鈥檛 look great or his line is struggling or whatever it might be, then it just takes one moment,鈥� coach Spencer Carbery said. 鈥淲e win a hockey game and he鈥檚 got another goal, another one down. You just can never underestimate what he鈥檚 capable of doing.鈥�
Ovechkin remains on pace before the end of this season to pass Gretzky鈥檚 mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable before the end of this season.
鈥淲e all thought it was an unreachable mark at some point in time,鈥� said Kraken coach Dan Bylsma, who saw a lot of Ovechkin during his time with Pittsburgh. "We all put it in the category of, 鈥榃ell, that鈥檚 never going to be reached.鈥� But Ovechkin has been scoring 50 goals (a season) for an awful long time now. The number is what the number is, but I think what Alex has done is he鈥檚 going to be the greatest goal scorer of all time. He shows no signs of stopping, so it鈥檚 just a matter of time now that he will ... officially take the mark as the greatest goal scorer of all time.鈥�
Longtime teammate John Carlson, who set up Connor McMichael's go-ahead goal with 4:16 left that set the stage for Ovechkin to add to his total, said the final part of this pursuit is 鈥済oing to be a movie," and more specifically a documentary.
Asked about potentially assisting on No. 895, Carlson joked, "I think that鈥檚 up to him, who he wants in the documentary.鈥�
___
AP NHL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
