With OT goal, his 874th goal, Ovechkin scores on goalie no. 179

Alex Ovechkin broke one NHL record and in the process moved one step closer to another on Thursday night.

The Washington Capitals star broke the record for most goals scored, beating Leevi Merilainen in overtime to give the Capitals a 1-0 victory over the Senators in Ottawa, Ontario.

Merilainen became the 179th goaltender Ovechkin has scored against, breaking a tie with Jaromir Jagr atop the career list.

Ovechkin’s goal came on his third shot on net and fifth attempt. He took a pass from Rasmus Sandin on a 2-on-1 breakaway and fired it past Merilainen.

Ovechkin raised his arms and pumped his fist before being mobbed by teammates. It was his 27th career overtime goal, extending his record. Sidney Crosby is second with 22.

“I knew I had to take a shot as soon as possible because I thought maybe he thought I might give it back to Sandy,” Ovechkin said.

“It was a good one and it went in, so I’ll take it.”

Merilainen, a 22-year-old rookie from Finland, appeared in his eighth game in the league.

“You have to know when he’s on the ice he’s going to shoot everything like he did today,” Merilainen said.

Of course, Ovechkin is chasing an even bigger record – Wayne Gretzky’s career goal. With no. 874, he moved 21 away from passing Gretzky’s mark of 894, which had long seemed unapproachable.

The 39-year-old winger is on pace to hit 895 and above this spring.

Earlier in January, Ovechkin scored for the 28th time on Marc-Andre Fleury, who tops all netminders he has faced since arriving in North America in 2005.

Thursday’s goal marked the first time Ovechkin has scored in overtime during a 1-0 game in his career. It was also his 13th career overtime goal on the road, surpassing Jagr and John Tavares for most in NHL history.

It was Ovechkin’s 21st goal of the season in just his 29th game — he missed 16 games with a broken left leg. He has hit 20 in all 20 of his seasons in the league, including 2013, when a lockout shortened the season to 48 games, and 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the schedule to 56 games.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.