The playoffs are six games away, but the Capitals first want to make sure Ovechkin gets the record all to himself.

WASHINGTON -- Wayne Gretzky was in the building to witness history Friday, watching from a suite at Capital One Arena as Alex Ovechkin scored twice to tie his all-time goals record of 894.

Gretzky's record hinged on an unprecedented run of dominance with the 1980s Edmonton Oilers. He became the first and only NHL player to score more than 90 goals in a season in 1982 and topped 70 goals in each of his next three campaigns.

For the 895th time in his NHL career, Alex Ovechkin scored a goal, then celebrated with his teammates. Nobody in the history of professional hockey has been better at either. The Washington Capitals superstar,

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career National Hockey League goal on Sunday to break the hallowed all-time record of Wayne Gretzky that was once considered unbeatable.

It’s been a long time coming, but Alex Ovechkin can finally call himself the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with number 895 on Sunday. The 39-year-old overtook Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals after scoring on the power play in the second period of the Washington Capitals game against the New York Islanders on Sunday in Elmont,

Alex Ovechkin will reach the summit. In a career jammed with consequential goals, none will be remembered more than the next one. We’ll talk about it then, and we’ll do it in the grandest of terms, because that’s how it all works.

Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record by scoring the 894th of his career, setting off a wild celebration in Washington. He potentially could have had one more but opted not to try to score on the empty net late.

A little more than three decades before Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record, the “Great One” had his own chase. Gretzky was in hot pursuit of Gordie Howe's record in the spring of 1994.