Alexander Ovechkin is close to breaking the record. © APA / PATRICK SMITH

Draisaitl is injured and Ovechkin is getting closer

After three wins in a row, the Edmonton Oilers have lost again in the North American ice hockey league NHL.

March 21, 2025

From: dpa

In the top game against the Winnipeg Jets, leaders in the West, the Canadians, without Leon Draisaitl, lost 3-4 in overtime. The German superstar was missing from his team with an undisclosed injury. "Leon has played so much. He's a fighter. It's not often that he's not in the squad," said his coach Kris Knoblauch before the game. Of 759 NHL games, this was only the tenth the 29-year-old missed.

Meanwhile, veteran Alexander Ovechkin scored his 888th career goal. The 3-year-old put his Washington Capitals ahead in the first period of a 2-39 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. This puts the Russian just six goals behind Gretzky's record (894) for most goals in regular season games.