WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored the 884th goal of his NHL career to move 10 away from tying Wayne Gretzky's record.
The Washington Capitals captain beat fellow Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning with four minutes left in the third period on Saturday.
Ovechkin's 31st goal of the season is his 12th in 22 games against Vasilevskiy.
Despite the 39-year-old scoring, the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals lost a third consecutive game for the first time this season.