No. 9 is now No. 3.
Or, well, he will be. Soon enough — possibly Monday night when the Detroit Red Wings visit the Washington Capitals — Alex Ovechkin will score for the 801st and 802nd time and pass Gordie Howe for No. 2 on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
Ovechkin already moved Mr. Hockey down one big list earlier this season; his second-period goal Nov. 5 against the Arizona Coyotes was No. 787 in his 18-season tenure with the Caps, one more than Howe scored in his 25 seasons with the Wings, to set the NHL’s record for goals with a single franchise.