Alex Ovechkin is now five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record after scoring the 890th of his career in the Washington Capitals’ game Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Washington Capitals became the first NHL team this season to clinch a playoff spot, doing so after playing 69 games.

The second half of the NHL season begins Saturday with 14 games coming out of the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Saturday night crystallized how two trades made over the previous summers benefitted three teams in a way they usually don’t in the NHL.

Alex Ovechkin scored the 877th goal of his career to move 18 away from breaking the NHL record, but the Washington Capitals lost 5-4 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets in a showdown of the top two teams in the NHL that lived up to that billing.

Alex Ovechkin moved within 20 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record with an empty-netter, helping the Washington Capitals beat the Seattle Kraken 3-0 on Thursday night for their sixth straight victory.