WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his 886th career goal into an empty net to seal the Washington Capitals’ 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken, moving nine back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record and helping the Eastern Conference leaders win their fourth game in a row. Ovechkin backhanded the puck in from center ice with 1:31 left, sending the crowd into jubilation and chants of “Ovi! Ovi!” His 33rd goal of the season was also his 1,600th career point. Connor McMichael scored the go-ahead goal a few minutes earlier, not long after a line brawl nearly broke out.
