Capitals' Alex Ovechkin chasing specific goal, not Wayne Gretzky

Washington Capitals superstar captain Alex Ovechkin understands many want to discuss his pursuit of the all-time NHL goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky but has something else on his mind ahead of Friday's regular-season opener versus Sidney Crosby and the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. 

"I just want to play," Ovechkin recently told Tom Gulitti of the league's website. "I just want to make the playoffs and then we'll see what's happened."

Washington missed the playoffs last season for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign and is projected to again be on the outside looking in next spring. The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn, Shayna Goldman and Sean Gentille noted in September that the Capitals don't "have much of a shot to do anything noteworthy this year other than get Ovechkin closer to the all-time record." As of Thursday afternoon, OddsChecker had Washington at +250 betting odds to make the playoffs. 

Per ESPN stats, Ovechkin finished last season with team-highs of 42 goals and 75 points tallied across 73 games, and he ended the campaign with 822 career goals. He also dealt with the death of his father in February. 

"Last year was probably the toughest year of my life because of what happened with my dad, but it's life," Ovechkin acknowledged. "It happens to everyone, unfortunately. But from my standpoint, I just want to do my best this year to bounce back and help our team to make the playoffs. That's our goal." 

Both Capitals forward Dylan Strome and forward Tom Wilson admitted to Gulitti that they'll be thinking about Ovechkin closing in on Gretzky's mark throughout this season. However, the 38-year-old sounds disinterested in the topic as he prepares to see Crosby and the Pens at Capital One Arena on Friday. 

"We want to be in the playoffs. We want to fight for the Cup," Ovechkin said about attempting to hoist the Stanley Cup for the second time during his Hall of Fame career. "We want to feel that atmosphere and feel that intensity. Last year, lots of different reasons happened because of injuries and because we lost some points, but it's done. Nothing you can do right now, right? So, you just have to move on."