Alex Ovechkin's chase of Wayne Gretzky's goal record on pause because of injury

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin remains out with a fractured left fibula, pausing his chase of Wayne Gretzky's goal record, but he has resumed light skating on his own, according to reports.

Ovechkin had left a 6-2 victory against the Utah Hockey Club on Nov. 18 after absorbing a leg-on-leg collision and didn't return. The Capitals announced later that week that he was expected to miss four to six weeks.

Ovechkin, 39, entered this season needing 42 goals to break Hall of Famer Gretzky's NHL record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Capitals star has 15 goals this season, including five in his last two games.

If Ovechkin doesn't reach the record this season, he has one more season left on his contract.

Here's where Ovechkin stands in his chase of Gretzky's goal record:

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has 868 career goals.

How close is Alex Ovechkin to Wayne Gretzky's goal record?

Ovechkin needs 27 goals to break Gretzky's record.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have this season?

Ovechkin has 15 goals and 10 assists in 18 games. That is a 68-goal pace, though that figure is dependent on a full 82-game season, and he is expected to miss 13 to 19 games.

What did Alex Ovechkin do in his last game?

Ovechkin had two goals on three shots in the win against Utah before his injury. His first goal was a wrist shot from between the faceoff circles that beat goalie Connor Ingram in the first period.

It was Ovechkin's first career goal against Ingram, who became the 178th goalie that he has scored against. That ties Jaromir Jagr's NHL record.

Ovechkin scored again in the second period, with a one-timer from above the left faceoff circle.

But then he got hurt in the third period.

Alex Ovechkin injury update

Ovechkin was hurt after an accidental leg-on-leg hit from Utah's Jack McBain. The Capitals captain was slow to get to the bench. He tried to test out the leg during a TV timeout, but he wasn't able to return to the game.

The Capitals announced the fractured fibula and the timeline of four to six weeks out after he returned to Washington and was further evaluated by team doctors.

When is Alex Ovechkin's next game?

That's a good question. The timeline of four to six weeks takes him anywhere from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2. The Capitals have a game on Dec. 20 and one on Jan. 2.

How many games has Alex Oveckhin missed?

He has missed the Capitals' last seven games. Washington is 4-2-1 in those games.

Alex Ovechkin career goal breakdown

Even strength: 547, third overall

Power play: 316, a record

Short-handed: 5

Empty net: 59, a record

Game winners: 132, second overall

Multi-goal games: 177, second overall

Goalies scored against: 178, tied for record

Hat tricks: 31, sixth overall

How did Alex Ovechkin fare last season?

He had an uncharacteristically slow start, including a 14-game goal drought. But he started picking up after the All-Star Game, scoring in six of seven games with another stretch of eight goals in five games and finished with 31. By picking up his 18th 30-goal season, he broke the record he shared with Hall of Famer Mike Gartner. Ovechkin broke Gretzky's record for empty-net goals and moved into second place all-time with 19 consecutive 20-goal seasons. He also improved to 129 game-winning goals, leaving him six behind record-holder Jagr.

Who are the NHL's top all-time goal scorers?

The top 21 NHL all-time goal scorers all have 600 or more goals. All of the players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Jagr, who are still playing.

1. Wayne Gretzky,  894 goals in 1,487 games

2. Alex Ovechkin, 868 goals in 1,444 games

3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games

4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games

5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games

6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games

7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games

8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games

9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games

10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games

11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games

12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games

13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games

14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games

15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games

16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games

17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games

18. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games

19. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games

20. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games

21. Sidney Crosby, 600 goals in 1,299 games

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Ovechkin goal tracker: Injury pauses Wayne Gretzky record chase