Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin moves one step closer to history against Red Wings

It was a milestone evening at Little Caesars Arena for two figures on the Detroit Red Wings , while a member of the opposition moved one step closer to a key milestone of his own.

Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan picked up his 1st victory since being named the successor to the recently-fired Derek Lalonde; the Red Wings hadn't made an in-season coaching change since the mid-1980s.

Additionally, Patrick Kane picked up his 1,300th career point, becoming the 39th player in NHL history to reach that feat.

And while the Red Wings picked up a much-needed 4-2 win, one member of the Capitals inched closer toward a major milestone of his own.

Captain Alex Ovechkin, who returned yesterday against the Toronto Maple Leafs just over a month after suffering a broken leg, scored for the 2nd consecutive game and moved to within 25 goals of reaching Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leader in goals scored (894).

It was a classic Ovechkin goal, a one-time snipe from the middle of the right faceoff circle on which goaltender Alex Lyon needed a miracle to stop:

He scored an empty-net goal last night against the Leafs, which moved him to within 26 goals of Gretzky.

Ovechkin continues to impress, and the fact that he's back in action just over a month after a broken leg is a testament to not only his skill but his sheer willpower.

When it's all said and done, Ovechkin will be regarded as the best goal scorer of a generation, and it won't be long before he takes sole possession of the title of the leading goal scorer in NHL history.