In a win against the Blackhawks on Tuesday night, Alex Ovechkin scored his 800th goal with a hat trick. Ovechkin became the third player in NHL history to reach this milestone, joining the company of Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.
Alex Ovechkin Chasing History
Reaching 800 goals brings Ovechkin within one goal of tying Gordie Howe for second in league history. Howe scored 801 goals in 1,767 regular-season games over 26 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers. With more than half the season ahead of him, he is likely to reach this milestone as well. This would then put Wayne Gretzky as the only person ahead of him. Gretzky went on to have 894 goals in 20 seasons.
Recap of Reaching 800 Goals
Ovechkin scored his 798 goals just 24 seconds into the game. He scored the next goal of the game around seven minutes later to give him his 799th and the Capitals the 2-0 lead. In the third period after Anthony Mantha took the puck away from Blackhawks defensemen Jack Johnson, Ovechkin scored reaching his 800th goal and a hat trick. “It was great,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously, the first couple of goals were good bounces, and the third one, he gave me a nice pass and I just have to put it in. The puck was on my curve, so I knew I just have to put it up and it’s in.”
Many hats were thrown onto the ice and Ovechkin received a long-standing ovation from the Capitals crowd. “That’s great, cheering my name, throw their hats,” Ovechkin said. “Even in the warmup, I was feeling that energy right away. The fans watch me and the fans want to see those historical moments.”
More Milestones
Last night made it his 29th hat trick, moving him into sixth all-time. Also, the third goal was his 20th of the season which makes him the third player in NHL history to reach these 20 goals in 18 consecutive seasons. Alex was the first player to reach 800 goals with one team.
Alex Ovechkin Postgame
It’s a huge number,” Ovechkin said. “It’s the best company you ever can imagine since you start playing hockey to be connected to Gordie. Eight hundred, I’m the third person who ever scored that many goals. So without my teammates, without the organization, the fans, my family, I would never get that number and I would never talk to you right now about those numbers.” In the locker room to his teammates Ovechkin said. “How I always say, without you guys, obviously, I would never reach those kind of numbers. It’s huge, good for hockey, great for the organization, and, obviously, happy to do that with you guys. It’s special.”
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