When Could Ovechkin Pass Gretzky? Capitals Captain Leads NHL In Goals Per Game & Coming Off Yet Another Record: 'It's Pretty Cool'

At the age of 39 and 21 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has the best goal-scoring pace in the NHL.

Ovechkin has 21 goals in 29 games, including six in 11 games since returning from a broken leg that held him out for 40 days. He's scoring at a pace of .72 goals per game and 2.49 goals per 60 minutes, the most in the league of any skater.

Meanwhile, with his overtime winner on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, he added to his record of the most OT goals in NHL history (27) and broke the record for the most goaltenders scored on, with Leevi Meriläinen being his latest victim.

"It's pretty cool," Ovechkin said of the milestone. "When you play 20 years, you have chances, you'll take it."

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Ovechkin sits 21 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. His current pace has him finishing the year with 48 goals, which would put him past No. 99 and at a total of 901 career goals.

If he keeps scoring at his current pace, he will break the record on April 1, on the road against the Boston Bruins.

Ovechkin is also one game-winning goal away from tying Jaromir Jagr for the most all-time, and he's also the second player in NHL history to record at least 20 goals in 20 consecutive seasons, joining Gordie Howe.

The Russian has never totalled under 20 goals in a year since he entered the league in 2005.