How many games can Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin miss and still beat Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record this season if he returns after his injury and scores at the same rate?

When the season began, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin found himself 41 goals back from catching Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history.

Entering his age-39 season after scoring 31 goals in what was a down year for Ovechkin, his chances of scoring 41 goals to reach and surpass The Great One's 894 red lights were slim...but not none.

If there's one thing we've learned about Ovechkin, it's never to doubt him.

Through 18 games this season, he leads the NHL with 15 goals, scoring 0.83 goals per game, the highest rate of his career at the moment.

His 23.8 shooting percentage is light-years above his 13 percent career average. 

Ovechkin's two-goal performance on Monday in a 6-2 defeat of the Utah Hockey Club put him just 26 goals back of Gretzky with 64 games to go. 

But, due to a fractured left fibula sustained in that win, Ovechkin is expected to be out for roughly four to six weeks, putting a hold on his chase for greatness.

Given that he's scored 0.83 goals per game, Ovechkin was on pace to tie Gretzky's record in game No. 50 and become the NHL's all-time goal-scorer by game No. 51.

So, Ovechkin could miss up to 31 games with his injury and still be able to break Gretzky's record if he doesn't miss a beat upon his return.

It would not be easy, by any means, but since when has Ovechkin not been up to the challenge?

While personality accolades have been the storyline for Ovechkin for the last few years, the Capitals have certainly had their focus on winning hockey games.

Hiring Spencer Carbery ahead of the 2023-24 season gave life to a stale system, with the Capitals defying odds to earn a playoff berth.

They didn't put up much of a fight against the New York Rangers in the first round, with the brooms coming out of the Manhattan apartments. 

After improving their goaltending, acquiring Logan Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights and adding forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, and Jakub Vrana this summer, the Capitals were doing what they could to keep a Stanley Cup window open while Ovechkin is still playing.

With the emergence of Connor McMichael, whose 12 goals are tied for sixth-most in the NHL, and Ovechkin leading the NHL, along with strong goaltending, the Capitals find themselves second in the Metropolitan Division with a 13-4-1 record.

Ovechkin's hole in the lineup is unfillable, but because of the hot start, the Capitals have some breathing room in case things go south. 

While they only trail the Carolina Hurricanes by one point, they have an eight-point cushion between them and the Buffalo Sabres for the second wild-card spot. 

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