Alexander Ovechkin is creeping up on Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, entering Tuesday night's Washington Capitals-Anaheim Ducks game with 886, only eight fewer than The Great One's 894. Yet he is still playing within the system and not taking extra opportunities to reach the top of the remarkable NHL list.
Ovechkin notched three assists in the Capitals' 7–4 victory, including one in the final moment when Anaheim had pulled their goalie. The future Hall of Famer gained possession of the puck near Ducks' blue line but instead of turning and heading toward the empty net, he quickly fed the puck to Aliaksei Protas so he could add to his own tally.
