CHICAGO — Alex Ovechkin reached one other milestone in his pursuit of the NHL’s all-time targets document Tuesday evening, notching the 800th of his outstanding profession. The Washington Capitals captain recorded his first hat trick of the season to turn out to be the third NHL participant to achieve that complete, and surpassing one other hockey icon is imminent.
Washington
Alex Ovechkin scores 800th NHL goal, stands one behind Gordie Howe
Ovechkin, 37, stands one objective shy of tying Gordie Howe for second on the all-time record. And he’s 95 from exceeding Wayne Gretzky’s document of 894.
The Russian star’s landmark objective got here at 6:34 of the third interval in a 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Kuznetsov had the assists on the objective, which gave Washington a 5-2 lead.
Ovechkin’s tally got here proper in entrance after he collected a feed from Mantha and beat Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek. An exuberant celebration ensued as hats rained down on the ice at United Middle. The Capitals’ bench rapidly cleared to congratulate the captain in a gleeful dogpile as chants of “O-vi! O-vi! O-vi!” engulfed what had been a quiet area moments earlier.
“It’s a large quantity,” he mentioned. “The perfect firm ever can think about because you begin enjoying hockey to be in that class — 800.”
Ovechkin had scored his first objective of the evening solely 24 seconds into the sport, when he transformed from the left circle. His second tally was a power-play objective at 8:14 of the primary. Ovechkin jammed within the puck on the left publish, and abruptly the milestone was in attain.
“It doesn’t matter when you get two,” he mentioned. “… It stick with your thoughts immediately that it’s important to discover another [goal] to simply transfer on, simply move it and transfer on. As quickly as [the 800th goal] occurred, form of aid, form of happiness usually.”
Ovechkin has seven targets in his previous 4 video games because the Capitals have surged again into the playoff image with 5 straight wins. He has 20 targets in 31 video games. His crew struggled to begin the season, however the Capitals’ captain is exhibiting no indicators of slowing down.
“It’s fairly superb,” Coach Peter Laviolette mentioned. “If you see it from a special bench, you concentrate on determining the way to cease [Ovechkin] and the way to preserve him in verify. And while you coach him, you see his love of the sport, his sturdiness and his need and want to make a distinction.”
Ovechkin can now set his sights on catching — and passing — Howe. Washington’s subsequent sport is Thursday in opposition to Dallas at Capital One Area, the place the Capitals hope an lively residence crowd will assist preserve their current surge going.
Trevor van Riemsdyk, Nic Dowd, Mantha and Dmitry Orlov additionally scored for Washington, and Charlie Lindgren made 26 saves. Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Toews and Max Domi scored for Chicago; Mrazek had 23 saves.
Ovechkin has remained even-keeled as his targets chase has heated up, a trait of his since he entered the NHL as a curious, fearless 20-year-old in 2005. In these days, he merely wished to play the game he beloved.
“Again then, I simply wish to play. I don’t wish to take into consideration the numbers,” Ovechkin mentioned. “I simply wish to have enjoyable and luxuriate in my life within the NHL.”
Present and former gamers have gushed about Ovechkin’s want and keenness for hockey, with former Capitals teammate Brian Sutherby calling Ovechkin’s confidence and swagger as a younger child “infectious.”
“He’s essentially the most passionate hockey participant I’ve ever performed with,” Sutherby mentioned. “He wished to win greater than anybody I ever performed with. … There have been many nights in that first yr that you’re sitting on the bench and you already know that you’re watching one thing ridiculous and one thing that the majority gamers can’t do — and also you knew this child was going to go on and be a Corridor of Famer.”
As he has neared his newest milestone, Ovechkin has been saving pucks, sticks, jerseys and gloves from every objective he scores. He shops them within the basement of his Virginia residence — which is beginning to get very crowded. Ovechkin mentioned his spouse, Nastya, is prepared for a few of that memorabilia to discover a new residence.
“She don’t prefer it,” he mentioned. “Each time I’ve gloves and helmets, she is like, ‘When are you going to eliminate it?’ I’m going, ‘We are going to see.’ ”
As Ovechkin chases down Howe after which takes goal at Gretzky, every objective brings new recollections and milestones as he leaves his teammates, opponents and hockey followers in awe.
“To see the place he’s at, 800 targets, it’s arduous to understand actually,” Toews mentioned. “It’s fairly particular to observe.”
Notes: Middle Lars Eller didn’t play after he left Tuesday’s morning skate early. Washington introduced earlier than the sport that he was day-to-day with an upper-body damage. Nicolas Aube-Kubel entered the lineup in his place. … Defenseman Erik Gustafsson returned to the lineup, changing Lucas Johansen, after he missed Sunday’s win at Winnipeg with an upper-body damage.