CHICAGO — Alex Ovechkin became the third player in NHL history to reach 800 career goals Tuesday night.
Ovechkin clocked 6:34 in the third period of the Washington Capitals’ 7-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Capitals captain grabbed a loose puck in front of Petr Mrazek’s net and scored the team’s fifth goal, completing his 29th NHL hat trick.
Ovechkin had scored his 798th career goal 24 seconds into the game and took advantage of a power play to score his 799th less than eight minutes later.
Ovechkin is just one goal away from tying Gordie Howe for the second-most goalscoring tally in the NHL. Wayne Gretzky leads league history with 894 goals.
“It’s a large number,” the Russian outsider said. It’s the best company I could imagine since you started playing hockey.”
Ovechkin reached 800 goals in his 1,305th NHL game. He is the second fastest to achieve the feat, after Gretzky (1116 games).
“I think when he gets to the top he can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Anthony Mantha, scorer of Ovechkin’s 800th goal. In the meantime, I think he’s on the hunt and that’s what we love about him.”
Ovechkin was selected first overall in the 2004 draft. The Russian holds multiple Capitals records.
Nic Dowd, Mantha, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Dmitry Orlov also scored for the Capitals, who have won their last five games.
“Now we just have to make a big push before Christmas and then take advantage of the three days off,” said Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Conor Sheary, Garnet Hathaway and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel each had two assists. Charlie Lindgren stopped 26 shots in the win.
Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Toews and Max Domi have been pulling strings for the Blackhawks, who are 1-11-1 in their last 13 games.
“I thought we struggled to get back in the game, but it’s Ovechkin,” said Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson. There have been some unfavorable leaps and he is making you pay the price ”.
Mrazek finished the game with 23 saves.
