Will Alex Ovechkin break the all-time goals record this season? Projections suggest a 73% likelihood

Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin continues to move closer towards breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. In a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, Ovechkin took another step towards that milestone as he scored the 889th goal of his NHL career.

Ovechkin is now just six goals away from surpassing Gretzky's all-time mark of 894 goals.

With Ovechkin inching closer to the record, hockey fans are beginning to wonder if the Capitals forward will reach it prior to the conclusion of the regular season. According to data compiled by SportsLine, Ovechkin has a 72.65% chance of breaking the record this season.

Alex Ovechkin goals tracker: Capitals star six away from Wayne Gretzky's all-time record as season nears end

Chris Bengel

SportsLine estimates that Ovechkin will likely break the record somewhere between April 14-17. The 39-year old has a 14.88% of breaking the record on April 12 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ovechkin also has a 13.97% chance of surpassing Gretzky on April 13 -- also versus the Blue Jackets -- and a 13.88% chance on April 15 against the New York Islanders.

Ovechkin has scored three goals over his last five games, and has alternated contests in which he's scored those goals. The Capitals star has racked up six goals in 12 games during the month of March.

Ovechkin currently has 36 goals and 24 assists this season as he bids to reach the 40-goal mark for the third time in the past four seasons.

The Capitals are also pursuing the Presidents' Trophy, which goes to the team with the most points in the league. With Washington chasing the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race, Ovechkin should have plenty of opportunities to put the puck in the net over the final three weeks of the regular season.