The Great Eight is within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record of 894, which Gretzky reached on March 29, 1999, against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin began this season with 853 career goals.

We're tracking Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's goal record and trying to determine the game in which he's most likely to break the record.

Alexander Ovechkin 's chase for Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record is now down to the final 20 tallies. The Washington Capitals captain potted an empty-net goal to shore up his team's 3-0 win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night.

With his overtime goal on Thursday, Alex Ovechkin has now scored against 179 different goalies in his NHL career — more than any other player.

It's no small feat, and looking from the outside in, one would wonder: how does that impact a team's structure? And critics have, with some questioning if it's a distraction to the Capitals dressing room.