Alex Ovechkin continued his historic pursuit on Wednesday night, netting his 885th career NHL goal in the third period against the New York Rangers. The milestone puts him just 10 goals shy of surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing record of 894.

The Washington Capitals captain found the back of the net with 9:32 remaining in regulation, capitalizing on a loose puck near the left side to tie the game at 2-2. The goal marked his 46th in 76 career games against the Rangers.

“Great job on the faceoff,” Ovechkin said. “Good battle, and the puck came right to me.”

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery had high praise for the veteran winger.

“He always has a knack for coming through in big moments,” Carbery said. “The puck finds him, and he doesn’t miss. That was a massive goal for us, huge on the power play. It wasn’t from his usual spot, but he pounced on the opportunity.”

Washington went on to secure a 3-2 victory in overtime, thanks to Tom Wilson’s goal at 4:07.

Ovechkin’s season has been impressive despite some setbacks. He has 32 goals in 46 games, including 17 in his last 28 after returning from a fractured left fibula that kept him out for 16 games. At this pace, he could break Gretzky’s record by early April, well before the regular season concludes.

“We need 10 more,” Carbery said with confidence. “Ten more. We got this.”

Already the NHL’s all-time leader in power-play goals, Ovechkin extended his record to 321 and is just one point away from joining the exclusive 1,600-point club, a feat achieved by only 10 other players in league history.

Ovechkin had several chances throughout the game, testing Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin multiple times. In the opening minutes, two of his shots were blocked, and another was turned away. In the second period, Shesterkin stopped a wrist shot early and denied another attempt just before intermission.

He finally broke through in the third, and nearly ended the game in overtime, but Shesterkin made a sprawling glove save while falling to the ice.

With each game, Ovechkin edges closer to rewriting history, and the countdown to Gretzky’s record is officially in full swing.