Alex Ovechkin is now one goal shy of reaching 700, scoring his first goal in five games on Thursday night in the Washington Capitals’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

His last goal came with a hat trick on Feb. 4 against the Los Angeles Kings. He now sits at 699 career goals.

As the slump continued, members of the Capitals’ organization spoke out, including GM Brian MacLellan.

“From observing, I would say I think everybody wants him to get it and are trying hard for him to get it… let’s just play our game and it’s going to happen organically,” MacLellan said. “It’s just going to take care of itself.”

Ovechkin’s thoughts were clear as he sought to end the drought.

“I don’t think somebody thinks about it,” he said. “If it happens, it happens. It’s just a matter of time. Tomorrow, after tomorrow, whatever. We’re focusing right now to get our game better, to secure a playoff spot, and then we’ll move on.”

Only seven players have reached the 700 mark: Wayne Gretzkey, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Brett Hull, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, and Mike Gartner.

This weekend, Ovechkin will have two chances to reach the 700 club. They visit New Jersey on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET on MSG+ and host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr broke a tie with Mark Messier for second place on the NHL all-time career points list.

Panthers’ Jaromir Jagr Passes Mark Messier For Second In NHL All-Time Points

Jagr reached the mark with an assist on Aleksander Barkov’s third-period goal in the Panthers’ 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. This pushed the 44-year-old Czech to 1,888 points for his career in his 1,663rd game. It took Messier 93 more games to attain his total of 1,887 points.

A shot from Michael Matheson glanced off Jagr’s pants, hit Bruins goalkeeper Tuukka Rask, then went to Barkov, who fired the puck into the net with 6:40 left in the game. Officials had to review the play to make sure Jagr had indeed touched the puck in order to give him the assist. The game then was stopped for a brief ceremony where Jagr received a gold stick.

“I appreciate everything … over my hockey career, and I thank the fans,” Jagr said during the ceremony.

Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe said he understands why Jagr was upset despite his big, record-setting night: because his team had still lost the game, and the Czech star values the team’s success. more than his own individual success.

“(Jagr’s) upset. He’s second in history in NHL scoring and he doesn’t even care about that right now,” Rowe said. “The two points were more important to him.”

Only Wayne Gretzky, with 2,857 points, has more than Jagr.

In a video, Gretzky offered congratulations. “You play the game the right way,” he told Jagr.

“I was dreaming about something else,” Jagr said. “I thought I was going to score beautiful goal, beautiful assist, and we’re going to win the hockey game. Obviously, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, but the best thing is just to put it behind us and the whole team should concentrate on winning the games. We didn’t play very well today.”

Frank Vatrano, Patrice Bergeron and David Backes scored for Boston, and Rask made 29 saves. Even Bruins coach Claude Julien praised Jagr for his achievement.

“He deserves that attention. We didn’t mind that at all,” Julien said of the brief stoppage of play to honor Jagr. “He played for us so it was nice to be a part of it.”

Jagr played 22 games for the Bruins in 2013.

Rask was also thrilled to have witnessed a night where not only his team one, but Jagr reached a historic accomplishment.

“You don’t get to be (on the ice) with that kind of a legend very often so it was great to see that,” Rask said. “I’m very happy for him; it’s great.”

Vatrano, called up this week from Providence of the AHL, scored in his first game and on his second shot as a Bruin on a wrister from the slot at 2:09 of the second period.

“You aren’t a part of something like that every day,” Vatrano said about Jagr’s memorable assist. “He’s a tremendous player, one of the best in the game and it’s awesome.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-oh8VEuao

SUNRISE, FL – DECEMBER 22: Jaromir Jagr #68 of the Florida Panthers rushes up ice against the Boston Bruins at the BB&T Center on December 22, 2016 in Sunrise, Florida. The Bruins defeated the Panthers 3-1. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

NHL right winger Jaromir Jagr has agreed to a one-year contract that would allow him to return to the Florida Panthers, the team announced Thursday.

Jaromir Jagr Returning to Florida Panthers On One-Year Deal

Although the Panthers have not announced details of the deal, a source told ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun that Jagr will earn a base salary of $4 million plus another $1.5 million in potential bonuses.

“Jaromir is a Hall of Fame player and had an excellent season playing alongside Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau,” said general manager Dale Tallon. “His track record speaks for itself, ranking third all time in points and goals. He has been a great fit with our organization and we are excited to have him back for next season.”

Jagr, 44, had a team-best 66 points this season, with 27 goals and 39 assists in 79 games. The Panthers won the Atlantic Division title and set franchise records for both points and wins, before being eliminated by the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs.

“Jaromir has had a tremendous influence on our younger players and has been a key offensive contributor on our team,” Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said in a statement. “We are happy to have him back as we look to build off this year’s playoff appearance.”

The Czech player is also a finalist for this year’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the sport of hockey.

Jagr has spent 22 seasons in the NHL, and enters next season with 1,868 points, which puts him 19 away from tying Mark Messier for second most in NHL history.

PHOTO: SUNRISE, FL – NOVEMBER 16: Jaromir Jagr #68 of the Florida Panthers passes the puck during a game at BB&T Center on November 16, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr has been around the NHL for a long time and suffered his share of bumps and bruises. But getting his front teeth knocked out on Tuesday night still had to hurt.

In the first period, Jagr took Alex Chiasson‘s stick to the mouth in front of the Ottawa net. He fell to the ice, visibly hurt and bleeding from his mouth. He would return later in the game in pick up an assist in the Panthers’ overtime win.

The injury also did little to dampen Jagr’s spirits. After the game, he took to Twitter asking Santa Claus for a very specific gift.

Photo: Jaromir Jagr #68 of the Florida Panthers passes the puck during a game at BB&T Center on November 16, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Jaromir Jagr might be in better shape than athletes half his age, but even he knows his limits. And for the 43-year-old Czech, that limit is skating 20 minutes of three-on-three hockey.

This year, the NHL has changed its overtime format to three-on-three; this is intended to help more games end before reaching the shootout and, so far, the plan is working. It’s been such a success that the league has decided to bring the format to the All-Star game and have each conference represented in a three-on-three tournament.

As a fan favorite, Jagr would have had a good chance of being selected to appear in Nashville. The veteran, however, preemptively asked fans to not send him to the game for his own safety.

Not having Jagr might make the game a little less exciting, but with tweets like that, NHL fans might just forgive him.

Photo: Jaromir Jagr #68 of the Florida Panthers passes the puck during a game at BB&T Center on November 16, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)