16 is the magic number for Alexander Ovechkin. After nearly two decades in the NHL, Ovechkin only has to score 16 more to go past Wayne Gretzky‘s goal record. Today, the Washington Capitals player’s 26th goal of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers was his 879th. However, Gretzky’s goal record wasn’t the only thing Ovechkin was chasing.

The NHL star’s goal in his 38th game of the season came as a response to Matvei Michkov putting the Flyers ahead of the scoreboard. The Capitals star hit a slicing shot at the end of a flawless passing sequence, putting the puck in the upper right corner of the net. And with that screamer of a goal, The Great kept his consecutive goal-scoring streak alive.

“THE #GR8’S GOT GOALS IN FOUR STRAIGHT,” the Washington Capitals page posted on X. Alexander Ovechkin’s 879th goal also kicked off the thrilling back and forth between the two teams. After Ovechkin equalized, Connor McMichael put the Capitals in the lead early in the second period, before the two back-to-back goals from the Flyers put them in front again.

While Ovechkin didn’t get any more goals for the night he remains hot on the heels of Wayne Gretzky. Despite missing 16 games since sustaining his shin injury in November 2024, the 39-year-old still has plenty of time left to surpass The Great One before April ends.

However, if Alexander Ovechkin can continue his streak of scoring in every game, he may break Gretzky’s 894 record sooner. Speaking on Ovechkin’s current form coach had nothing but praise. “You become a little bit numb to it, but you still, after games, you take a step back and go, this is just incredible how he continues to score at this level, at the age he’s at (39),” said the coach.

Yet, if you thought that scoring his 879th NHL goal, and the four-match scoring streak were Ovechkin’s only achievement, you’d be wrong. Scoring against the Flyers’ goalie Ivan Fedotov marked another milestone for the Capitals forward.

Alexander Ovechkin’s unique scoring milestone against NHL goaltenders

Ivan Fedotov became the 180th goaltender in the NHL who conceded a goal against Ovechkin. Let that number sink in. However, it looks even more impressive when viewed from a different perspective. The Washington Capitals PR page provided that perspective through a social media post.

They wrote that Alexander Ovechkin has “scored against nearly half of all the goaltenders that have played at least one game (180 of 369; 49%).” since joining the NHL. They added that with his 879th goal, Ovechkin has now scored against a whopping 83% of the goaltenders he has ever faced on ice in the NHL.

Meanwhile, Coach Carbery explained that the Capitals star’s individual achievements has a ripple effect on the team. “We just enjoy it, and we’re glad he’s on our side. It’s exciting, and it brings a lot of energy to our team,” said Carbery. Thankfully, the team still has a lot of time to continue enjoying Alexander Ovechkin’s goal-scoring ability.

Alexander Ovechkin is currently tied with Mario Lemieux as the player with the most four-goal streaks at 34. So even if his current streak breaks, the Capitals star will gain an opportunity to break another NHL record besides Gretkzy’s all-time scoring record.