OTTAWA -- Alex Ovechkin scored his 874th NHL goal at 3:07 of overtime, giving the Washington Capitals a 1-0 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.

The 39-year-old winger took a pass from Rasmus Sandin on a 2-on-1 breakaway and fired it past rookie Leevi Merilainen, the record 179th goaltender he's scored on.

Washington Capitals found a strong opponent in the Ottawa Senators as both teams failed to score any goals during the first three periods. Alex Ovechkin broke the tie in overtime. His goal came off a pass from Rasmus Sandin during a 2-on-1. He fired a snap shot past Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen.

Alex Ovechkin scored at 3:07 of overtime to lift the visiting Washington Capitals over the Ottawa Senators 1-0 on Thursday night. Ovechkin took a pass from Rasmus Sandin on the rush and beat Leevi Merilainen from the left circle for his 874th NHL goal.

In his second year at the helm, head coach Spencer Carbery has transformed the Capitals into a monster. They rank first in goals against (2.43) and second in goals (3.57) per game and boast top-ten special teams on both sides of the puck.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 874th goal to win the game, closing the gap on Wayne Gretzky’s record ... be thinking maybe I will pass it back to [Rasmus Sandin],” Ovechkin told reporters.

Ovechkin took a pass from Rasmus ... Sandin on a two-on-one and beat Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen for the 874th goal of his NHL career. Washington’s captain was 21 goals away from breaking ...

Rather than ice a roster merely helping Ovi break Gretzky's record, the Caps have been one of the NHL's best. Here's how they threaded the needle.

The Capitals won't have any lineup changes, as they stick with what's worked for them and look for Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin to rediscover the spark they had at 5-on-5. Logan Thompson will get the start, making his fifth consecutive appearance between the pipes.

The Oilers nonetheless emerged from a travel-laden slate of 9 games in 15 days across all 4 of the league’s divisions and time zones with a 7-2-0 record. In a hectic six days this past week, the stretch included hard-fought wins over Los Angeles Kings,

The Great Eight is within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record of 894, which Gretzky reached on March 29, 1999, against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin began this season ...