Blackhawks allow Alex Ovechkin to tie Wayne Gretzky's record and break a Jaromir Jagr record

The hope was the Chicago Blackhawks' young defensive unit and goalie would allow Alex Ovechkin to score a hat trick and break Wayne Getzky's goal-scoring record in one night.

Everyone will just have to settle for Ovechkin tying Gretzky's NHL record instead, as he ended up with two goals on the night.

However, Ovi did break a record with his second goal of the night when his career 894th goal turned out to be the game-winner.

He passed Jaromir Jagr for the most game-winning goals in NHL history.

Ovechkin tied Gretzky and handed the Hawks their fifth-straight defeat with a third-period goal when he slipped a shot past a sprawling Spencer Knight.

Ovechkin started the scoring in the first period when he exploited the Blackhawks' youth on the blue line. He skated a few steps back away from the net, and Alex Vlasic lost track of the legend.

It also allowed just enough space to leave Ovi open for a pass from former Hawks forward Dylan Strome and the future Hall of Famer buried a shot into the back of the net.

It was Strome who scored the tying goal early in the third period that allowed Ovechkin to at least break one record.

Being up by just a goal also opened up the possibility of Ovechkin to get the hat trick with an empty-netter.

However, Ryan Leonard ended up scoring the empty-net goal, and Ovechkin will have to wait another night to break Gretzky's record.

The Hawks at least showed they were up for the such a huge game as the young roster gave the Capitals a fight. The Blackhawks held a 3-2 lead heading into the third period. Like what has happened through much of the season, they could not hold on.

At least, they avoided being the footnote team that allowed Ovechkin to break such an esteemed record. Instead, the Hawks only allowed him to break a clutch record that some did not know even existed.