Alex Ovechkin is nearing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record. He scored a hat trick Sunday. This brings him 13 goals away. The Capitals beat the Oilers 7-3.

Ovechkin scored twice in the second period. He added an empty-net goal in the third. He now has 29 goals this season. This is in 41 games played. Ovechkin spoke after the game. His family was present. “It means a lot,” he said. His kids love hockey. They played a top NHL team. They faced two top players. He was happy to get the win. He was happy to score goals. His family would be happy.

The 39-year-old has 882 career goals. 200 goals came since January 1, 2020. He is the first to score 200 goals in three decades. The NHL predicts he will pass Gretzky on April 4. This will be against the Chicago Blackhawks. Washington has the best NHL record. They extended their home point streak. It is now 16 games long. This is the second-longest in franchise history.

The Capitals play the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.