Alex Ovechkin scored his 872nd career goal to move 23 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record, and the Washington Capitals beat the struggling New York Rangers 7-4.

Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists, Alex Ovechkin added his 872nd career goal and the Washington Capitals earned a 7-4 victory against the visiting New York Rangers on Saturday.

Ovechkin, who suffered a broken left fibula in November, and the Capitals will face the Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is expected to make his much-anticipated return to the lineup either Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs or Sunday facing the Detroit Red Wings after missing five weeks with a broken fibula.

The Washington Capitals lost a shootout contest against the Minnesota Wild in their recent contest. They managed to snag a point against a rock solid Wild team and their best player, Alex Ovechkin, took one step closer in his historic pursuit.

NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin is 25 goals short of Wayne Gretzky's record after two goals this weekend for the Washington Capitals.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 872nd career goal to move 23 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record, and the Washington Capitals beat the struggling New York Rangers 7-4 Saturday. Ovechkin has four goals in five games since returning from missing the previous 16 because of a broken left leg.

The Washington Capitals took care of business on Saturday afternoon in the nation’s capital city, defeating the New York Rangers by a 7-4 final score. And doing the game, the ageless Alex Ovechkin continued his pursuit of history.