Alex Ovechkin scores his 858th goal and is on pace to break Wayne Gretzky's record this season

Alex Ovechkin is now connected way to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL profession goals grounds this season

WASHINGTON -- Nine games into nan Washington Capitals' season, Alex Ovechkin is scoring astatine a complaint that would put him past Wayne Gretzky arsenic soon arsenic this spring.

Ovechkin scored his 858th profession extremity Thursday nighttime against nan Montreal Canadiens, putting him 37 distant from breaking Gretzky's NHL grounds earlier nan extremity of this season. He entered this play 42 distant from breaking a people that agelong seemed unapproachable.

“He’s been awesome,” said linemate Aliaksei Protas, who scored a extremity assisted connected by Ovechkin in a 6-3 victory. “The measurement he celebrates, you consciousness for illustration it’s his first NHL extremity — erstwhile you cognize he’s chasing 1 of nan unreal records.”

The 39-year-old Ovechkin has already scored 5 this play and continues piling up goals dissimilar anyone astatine this property successful lucky history.

“You spot nan look successful his eyes, conscionable feels happy to beryllium there, celebrating for illustration a kid,” Protas said. "It’s special. That’s what makes him an unbelievable subordinate and scorer, that’s for sure. That’s really quiet he is to score.”

Ovechkin made Montreal's Cayden Primeau nan 176th different goaltender he has scored on. He's good connected his measurement to his 19th 30-goal play — and his 18 were already nan astir of anyone successful NHL history.

After his three-point crippled against nan Canadiens, Ovechkin credited Protas and halfway Dylan Strome for making it easy connected him to capable nan net.

“You tin spot quiet netters, you know?" Ovechkin said. “(Strome and Protas) find maine retired there, and I almost miss it, too.”

Ovechkin and nan Capitals are disconnected to their champion commencement successful astir a decade, winning 7 of their first 9 games for nan first clip since 2015-16.

“Right now, we consciousness fun,” Ovechkin said. "We support each other. When you triumph nan games, nan benignant of ambiance ever for illustration that from nan coaches from nan players. I dream it’s going to proceed for illustration that, but it doesn’t matter what’s going to hap because it’s a agelong season. It’s going to beryllium ups and downs obviously, truthful we person to instrumentality together nary matter what.”

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