Achieving the 800-goal plateau in dramatic fashion Tuesday night in Chicago, Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin notched his 29th career hat trick and became just the third player in NHL history to reach 800 goals.
Ovechkin, 37, scored twice in the first period and netted No. 800 in the third as Washington beat the Blackhawks 7-3. He now sits one behind Gordie Howe for second on the all-time goals list. Wayne Gretzky is the leader with 894.
Just 24 seconds into Tuesday’s game, Ovechkin got Washington on the board with his 18th goal of the season. About eight minutes later, Ovechkin doubled the visitors’ lead with a power-play tally. He completed the hat trick — goal No. 800 — to give the Capitals a 5-2 lead at the 6:34 mark of the final period.
Ovechkin reached the 800-goal mark in his 1,305th game, while Gretzky achieved the feat in 1,116 games. It took Howe 1,748 games.
Ovechkin stands alone in sixth with his 29 hat tricks, 21 behind Gretzky, the all-time leader. The Capitals’ captain has reached the 20-goal mark in each of his 18 seasons.
–Field Level Media