When Alex Ovechkin went down with a fractured left fibula following an on-ice collision with Utah Hockey Club's Jack McBain, it seemed as if his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record would be shelved until the 2025-26 season.
The broken leg ultimately cost Ovechkin just 16 games, as he was sidelined for just over a month from Nov. 18 until Dec. 28. When he returned to game action against the Toronto Maple Leafs in late December, Ovechkin wasted no time getting back into the scoring column, burying an empty-netter during the Washington Capitals' 5–2 victory for this 16th of the season. That goal came during the Caps' 35th game of the season and left Ovechkin 25 goals shy of tying Gretzky's all-time mark of 894 goals with 47 games left in the regular season.
