Matt Coronato scored to help the Calgary Flames beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Tuesday night, winning to move into a playoff spot despite Alex Ovechkin getting one step closer to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record.
Ovechkin beat Dan Vladar 4:52 into the third period to score his 883rd goal and move 12 back of passing Gretzky’s mark of 894. It was also his 30th goal of the season, reaching that milestone for the 19th time in his 20-year NHL career and adding to the league record he set last season with 18th. The goal sent the home crowd into chants of ’Ovi! Ovi!”
Ovechkin joined Teemu Selanne, Johnny Bucyk and Gordie Howe (who did it three times) as the only players in hockey history to score 30-plus goals in a season at age 39 or older.
Ovechkin is now 12 goals back of breaking Gretzky’s mark of 894 that had long seemed unapproachable. Adding this to his hat trick Sunday against Edmonton, Ovechkin is now on pace to pass Gretzky in early April long before the regular season is over.
Tuesday’s goal came with the Capitals trailing 2-0, and Capitals could not get any closer. Logan Thompson stopped 22 of the 25 shots he faced. The top team in the Eastern Conference lost in regulation in Washington for the first time since Nov. 23, ending a 16-game home point streak.
Martin Pospisil and Jonathan Huberdeau also scored and Vladar made 26 saves for Calgary, which has won two in a row coming out of the league’s 4 Nations Face-Off break to leapfrog Pacific Division-rival Vancouver for the second and final wild card in the West.
The Flames visit Tampa Bay on Thursday, and the Capitals host St. Louis.
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