The chase for 700 will have to wait at least a few more days as Alex Ovechkin failed to find the back of the net in the Washington Capitals’ 5-3 loss to the New York Islanders Monday.
The Capitals ended a four-game homestand with a 1-3 record and will travel west for a three-game road trip.
Thursday night’s coverage of Capitals-Avalanche (9:30 p.m. ET) will be the second half of an NHL doubleheader on NBCSN, immediately following originally-scheduled coverage of Flyers-Panthers, which begins at 7 p.m. ET. Pre-game coverage at 6 p.m. ET with NHL Live.
Earlier this month, Ovechkin became only the second player to score 40 goals in 11 seasons, trailing Gretzky’s record of reaching that feat 12 times. He is 10 goals shy of reaching 50 goals for the ninth time in his 15-season career.
While Ovechkin attempts to join an illustrious group, the Capitals must remain focused on winning and collecting points. The Boston Bruins recently became the top team in the Eastern Conference and the Pittsburgh Penguins are only four points shy of their Metropolitan Division lead.
Ovechkin’s quest for 700:
- NHL Power Rankings: Ovechkin’s top 10 goals
- By the Numbers: Ovechkin’s 698 NHL goals
- Stunning Numbers as Alex Ovechkin closes in on 700 goals
- Can Alex Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals?
- My Favorite Goal: Ovechkin scores ‘The Goal’
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Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottMCharles.