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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is now up to 801 goals. He reached 800 with a hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 13 and 801 with a goal against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23 to tie Gordie Howe in second on the all-time NHL goals list.

Go inside Ovechkin’s journey to 800 — and what comes next — with our Ovechkin 800 project, narrated by Emily Kaplan.

Ovi is now second on goals list, behind Wayne Gretzky (894). The next highest active player on the list is Sidney Crosby, at No. 34 with 536 goals. With his 787th goal, Ovechkin set the record for most goals scored with the same franchise. With goal No. 793, he passed Gretzky for the most goals scored on the road for a career (403).

Follow along here as Ovi scores his way up the record books, including a schedule of upcoming games and highlight videos of goals No. 787 and beyond.

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Upcoming schedule | Goal videos


The NHL’s top 10 in career goals

1. Wayne Gretzky (894)
2. (tie) Gordie Howe (801)
2. (tie) Alex Ovechkin (801)
4. Jaromir Jagr (766)
5. Brett Hull (741)
6. Marcel Dionne (731)
7. Phil Esposito (717)
8. Mike Gartner (708)
9. Mark Messier (694)
10. Steve Yzerman (692)

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1:56

Take a look back at the greatest eight goals from Alexander Ovechkin’s career.


Highlights

Goal No. 801

Late in the first period, Ovechkin took a pass from Dylan Strome and scored on the Winnipeg Jets, tying Gordie Howe for second on the all-time goals list.

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Alex Ovechkin moves into a tie with Gordie Howe for second-most goals in NHL history at 801.

Goals No. 798, 799 and 800

Just 24 seconds into their game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Ovi scored No. 798, assisted by John Carlson and Conor Sheary.

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Alex Ovechkin finds the net 24 seconds into the game for goal 798 as the Capitals lead 1-0.

Later in the first period, Ovi found paydirt again, this time a power-play goal assisted by Sheary and Sonny Milano.

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0:48

Alex Ovechkin notches goal 799 and his second of the game as the Capitals pad their lead to 2-0.

At 6:34 of the third period, Ovechkin made history, finishing off his hat trick and notching goal No. 800. The assists on the tally went to Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

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Alex Ovechkin gets his 800th goal in style, rounding out a hat trick against the Blackhawks.

Goal No. 797

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: With the Caps leading near the end of their win over the Winnipeg Jets, Ovechkin scored an empty-net goal. Caps defenseman Dmitry Orlov picked up the assist on the goal.

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Alex Ovechkin puts the icing on the Capitals’ win against the Jets.

Goal No. 796

At 19:56 of the third period against the Seattle Kraken, Ovechkin fired a shot into an empty net to put him four goals away from 800. The empty-net goal was assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson.

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Alex Ovechkin collects the puck and slings in his 796th career goal on an empty net against the Kraken.

Goals No. 794 and 795

With the Capitals up 2-1 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovechkin was on the ice to close out the game — and scored two empty-net goals! The first was assisted by Anthony Mantha and John Carlson, while the second was assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Conor Sheary.

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Alex Ovechkin tallies twice on an empty net and now has 795 career goals.

Goals No. 792 and 793

Ovechkin scored two goals in the first period of the Capitals’ matchup against the Vancouver Canucks — the first unassisted and the second with help from Dylan Strome and Anthony Mantha. Ovechkin has now passed Wayne Gretzky for most goals all time on the road.

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Alex Ovechkin slaps in his second goal of the game to put the Capitals up 2-0 against the Canucks.

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Alex Ovechkin jumps on the loose puck and notches his 792nd career goal vs. the Canucks.

Goal No. 791

A victory over the Calgary Flames was already well in hand, but Ovechkin’s goal at 12:24 of the third period — assisted by Conor Sheary and Sonny Milano — put him nine away from 800.

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Alex Ovechkin tallies goal for Capitals on the power play

Goal No. 790

At 1:04 of overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovechkin notched a game-winning goal assisted by Dylan Strome and Erik Gustafsson.

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Alex Ovechkin wins it for the Capitals with this clutch slap shot in overtime vs. the Flyers.

Goal No. 789

A goal at 15:12 of the second period against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 17 moved Ovechkin one step closer to 800. Dylan Strome was credited with the one assist on the tally.

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Alex Ovechkin nets goal vs. Blues

Goal No. 788

Ovechkin scored at 14:36 of the second period in a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 7, a power-play goal assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Evgeny Kuznetsov:

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Alex Ovechkin scores on the power play for Capitals

Goal No. 787

With his goal at 8:55 of the second period — a power-play tally assisted by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Anthony Mantha — Ovechkin broke Gordie Howe’s record for most goals scored by a player with a single franchise:

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Alex Ovechkin scores his 787th career goal to break Gordie Howe’s record of most goals with one team.


Upcoming schedule

Note: All games not on ESPN, TNT or NHL Network are available via NHL Power Play, which is included in an ESPN+ subscription (local blackout restrictions apply).

Dec. 23: vs. Winnipeg Jets
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Dec. 27: at New York Rangers
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Dec. 29: vs. Ottawa Senators
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Dec. 31: vs. Montreal Canadiens
4 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 3: vs. Buffalo Sabres
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 5: at Columbus Blue Jackets
7 ET | ESPN

Jan. 6: vs. Nashville Predators
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 8: vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
5 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 11: at Philadelphia Flyers
7:30 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 14: vs. Philadelphia Flyers
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 16: at New York Islanders
7:30 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 17: vs. Minnesota Wild
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 19: at Arizona Coyotes
9 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 21: at Vegas Golden Knights
10 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 24: at Colorado Avalanche
9 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 26: vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 29: at Toronto Maple Leafs
5 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

Jan. 31: at Columbus Blue Jackets
7 ET | NHL Power Play on ESPN+

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Sources: Tkachuk dodges discipline, will play G4

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Sources: Tkachuk dodges discipline, will play G4

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will not receive supplemental discipline for his hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Geuntzel in Game 3, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Tkachuk’s hit, in the third period of his team’s 5-1 loss, received a five-minute major. According to sources, the NHL Department of Player Safety determined that was enough, considering Guentzel had recently touched the puck and Tkachuk didn’t make contact with Guentzel’s head.

The department also believed that the force in which Tkachuk hit Guentzel was far lesser than the hit Tampa’s Brandon Hagel made on Florida captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2, which earned Hagel a one game suspension.

The plays led both coaches to trade jabs in the media. After Barkov went down in Game 2, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice said: “The only players we hit are the one with pucks.”

Barkov missed the end of the third period, but played in Game 3. Game 4 is Monday at Amerant Bank Arena.

At his postgame press conference, following Tkachuk’s hit on Guentzel, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper deadpanned the exact same line as Maurice.

Tkachuk leads the series in scoring with three goals and an assist through three games. Guentzel has two goals and two assists for Tampa Bay.

The Battle of Florida is living up to the billing as one of the most contentious rivalries in hockey; either Tampa or Florida has made it to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last five seasons.

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Jets’ Hellebuyck allows five goals, pulled again

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Jets' Hellebuyck allows five goals, pulled again

ST. LOUIS — Connor Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner who is among the favorites to win the award again this season, allowed five goals before being pulled early in the third period as the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets fell to the St. Louis Blues 5-1 on Sunday, evening their Western Conference first-round series at 2-2.

Hellebuyck has now been pulled in back-to-back games in St. Louis, during which he has allowed 11 goals and posted a paltry .744 save percentage. Eric Comrie made five saves in relief of Hellebuyck on Sunday, but the game had long been decided by that point.

His performances have not only energized the Blues, the No. 8 seed who lost the first two games of this series, but their fans, as well. In the third period Sunday, the St. Louis faithful chanted, “We want Connor” as he sat on the Jets’ bench.

Brayden Schenn, Tyler Tucker and Justin Faulk each scored second-period goals to give the Blues a 4-1 lead, and Robert Thomas scored 2:01 into the third, ending Hellebuyck’s day.

Across the ice, St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington, who defeated Hellebuyck in the 4 Nations Face-Off final in February when Canada outlasted Team USA, made 30 saves in the win. The Blues have now won 14 straight regular-season and playoff games at home dating back to Feb. 23.

“The last 10 minutes, we gave up three goals,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said of the second period. “Those are coverage goals, and those are situations that we usually handle pretty well. They are finding ways to get that puck in the net.”

Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, staking the road team to a 1-0 lead, but the powerful Winnipeg offense that helped the club win the Presidents’ Trophy was never heard from again.

“This is obviously not what we wanted,” Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele said. “But it’s a best two-of-three series now.”

Hellebuyck has been pulled in consecutive games only one other time in his career, and given the Jets lost in Round 1 last season to the Colorado Avalanche, the Winnipeg goaltending situation figures to be a storyline the rest of this series.

“At the end of the day, you know what, they took advantage of home ice,” Arniel said of the Blues. “We’ve put ourselves in this position. And our best players have to be better than their best players.”

The Jets and Blues return to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Williams out as Yanks’ closer; Weaver to get a shot

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Williams out as Yanks' closer; Weaver to get a shot

NEW YORK — Devin Williams has been removed from his role as New York Yankees closer “for right now,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday.

The move comes two days after Williams endured another rough outing and was booed off the mound at Yankee Stadium in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The 30-year-old right-hander has a 11.25 ERA with career-worst marks in strikeout rate (18.2%), whiff rate (24.1%) and walk rate (15.9%) in eight innings across 10 appearances this season.

“He’s still got everything to be great, right? This is a guy that is in the prime of his career and he’s just going through it a little bit,” said Boone, who informed Williams of the decision Saturday. “I tell our players all the time, you make a career that’s long enough and you’re going to face some challenging moments. You’re going to face some adversity along the way. And good news for Devin is he’s got everything to get through this and come out better on the other side. And that’s my expectation.

“But, for right now, I think it’s best for everyone that we pull him out of that role and try and start building some good rhythm and confidence and momentum and fully expect him to be a central figure for us moving forward.”

Boone said setup man Luke Weaver, who has a 0.00 ERA in 13 innings pitched this season, will assume “a lot of” the team’s save opportunities. Boone maintained he is open to using Weaver in high-leverage spots earlier in games and other relievers to close.

As for Williams, Boone said he won’t have a specific role — whether pitching in low-leverage situations or tight spots just earlier in games — as he seeks to re-establish himself for a team with the ninth-best bullpen ERA in the majors despite his struggles.

The key will be for Williams to avoid falling behind in counts as he did against the three hitters he faced Friday, leading to the home crowd again showering him with loud boos while adding a “We want Weaver!” chant.

Williams wound up surrendering two runs on three hits without recording an out to blow the save and continue his alarming troubles.

The Yankees hope his changeup-fastball mix will baffle hitters again and allow him to return to the pitcher he has been for his entire career.

“Count leverage is a big thing for pitchers, understandably, as it is for hitters,” Boone said. “And I think he’s been behind a number of times. He’s also had it not bounce his way in a number of these games where it’s gotten away.

“But I think the biggest thing for a guy as good as he is, as good as his track record is, and where he is from an age standpoint in the prime of his career, it’s just about, I think, man, having it start to click, getting in a good rhythm and then off we go.”

The Yankees acquired Williams in December to replace Clay Holmes as the club’s closer with one year of team control remaining before reaching free agency. The trade, which sent left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Corbin Durbin to Milwaukee, figured to cement the Yankees’ bullpen as one of the best in the majors.

Williams established himself as one of baseball’s premier relievers over six seasons with the Brewers using a singular screwball-like changeup known as “The Airbender.” The right-hander posted a 1.83 ERA with a 39.4% across 241 appearances in Milwaukee. He won the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award as a setup man for Josh Hader and made two All-Star teams. His status was undisputed.

But Williams’ Yankees tenure has been turbulent from start. After emerging as the catalyst to have the Yankees’ decades-long no-beard policy changed during spring training, he was booed at Yankee Stadium during his sloppy debut on Opening Day against his former club.

Boone acknowledged the fans’ treatment could have an impact on Williams’ performance.

“I think there’s that adjustment,” Boone said. “Devin’s really been nothing but successful at the big-league level. He’s dominated. So, that’s all part of it. That’s what I talk to these guys all the time about is like, again, you’re going to go through a tough moment. When I came here in 2003 at the trade deadline, Mariano Rivera was getting booed in August. I couldn’t believe it. And then he’s still Mariano Rivera, recoups and goes on to do what he does.

“So, I’m sure there’s some shock to that and some … getting settled. He’s with a new team in a new environment. That’s all part of it. But my reminder to him is you have all the equipment to do this at an elite level and that’s still a reality.”

In other developments, Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year Award winner, started his throwing program Sunday. He has been sidelined since Feb. 28 because of a high-grade lat strain, is on the 60-day injured list and is projected to return in June at the earliest.

Also, right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga, who is returning from internal brace elbow surgery, started his rehab assignment for Class A Tampa on Saturday and threw 11 pitches with one strikeout in a clean inning. He could rejoin the Yankees as early as late May.

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