Photo: Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports

The Arizona Coyotes learned a valuable lesson Monday night that they probably should have already known: don’t give time and space to this generation’s greatest scorer.

With 11:43 left in the third period, Alex Ovechkin scored his league-leading 39th goal of the season after the Coyotes dared the Russian machine to shoot from the perimeter.

Do it, Ovi. You’re never going to score.

Dang it.

Ovechkin’s wrist-shot scoar was the 514th goal of his NHL career, putting him in sole possession of 37th place all time. Ovi now has moar goals than plus-minus advocate Jeremy Roenick. Ovechkin’s next tally, no. 515, will tie him with Dale Hunter’s assault victim, Pierre Turgeon.

If Ovi scores once more this season, which is practically a guarantee, it will be the eighth time he’s scored 40 goals in his career (11 years in the NHL). Also, consider that one of those seasons was shortened due to a lockout.

That’s worth cheering about.

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Coyotes