Alex Ovechkin gets 100% honest about being inches away from beating Wayne Gretzky's all-time scoring record

Alex Ovechkin gave a candid take on being on the cusp of breaking Wayne Gretzky's career goals record of 894. The Washington Capitals superstar has 887 goals, seven shy of tying "The Great One."

In an interview with NHL Network's Tarik El-Bashir, Ovechkin opened up about his pursuit of Gretzky's long-standing mark.

"I try to not think about it, to be honest with you, but as soon as I'm talking to you guys, it reminds me of that," Ovechkin said with a knowing grin.

Ovechkin emphasized just how difficult scoring against the league's top defensemen and goalies:

"Every game you play against the best defensemen, best goalie, it's hard to score," he stressed. "It's hard. It's hard, man."

Ovechkin's recent goal against the Sharks on Saturday brought him within eight goals of breaking Gretzky's record.

Yet through it all, Ovechkin has had support from perhaps his most famous cheerleader - Wayne Gretzky himself. Ovechkin shared:

"He's looking forward, and it's very important for me to have that kind of support."Gretzky has been sending text messages to Ovechkin for encouragement.

Gretzky is determined to see the record-breaking moment in person. According to Sportsnet, he plans to attend Ovechkin’s games as he gets closer to making history.

With 14 games left in the season, Ovechkin needs to keep up his scoring pace to reach the milestone.

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Alex Ovechkin credits teammates for his success

As Alex Ovechkin continues his historic chase of Wayne Gretzky's goal record, he's quick to credit those around him for his success.

"The chemistry in the locker room has been tremendous," Ovechkin said, praising his Capitals teammates for pushing him every step of the way.

Ovechkin put it:

"Passion, love of the game, and I think, you know, the people love it. They like that excitement, the fans, my teammates love that, so yeah."

At 39, Ovechkin's passion for the sport still burns bright, with his team atop the Metropolitan Division, at 45-15-8 with 98 points.

As the Caps prepare to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at Capital One Arena, Alex Ovechkin inches forward to beat Wayne Gretzky's goal record.