Alex Ovechkin may be 32-years-old, but he’s on pace to eclipse the 50-goal mark for the eighth time in his career. Tuesday night against the Hurricanes, Ovechkin scored a pair of goals, including the overtime game-winning tally, to push the Caps to a wild 5-4 win.
The Russian machine leads the league in goals again. The more things change, the more things stay the same.
Goal 1
👣→🏒!!! #CapsCanes #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/SQzHcIFyCR
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 3, 2018
Ovechkin’s first goal of the night came in the third period after Nicklas Backstrom, who was a game-time decision due to flu, intercepted a bad pass by the Hurricanes. Backstrom found Ovechkin down low who scored on his backhand.
The goal was Ovechkin’s 25th of the season. It also tied the game at 4 after the Capitals surrendered a 3-2 lead. He went wild.
Goal 2
OVECHKIN DOES IT AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/SiSa5aAbRw
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) January 3, 2018
After scoring the game-tying goal, Ovechkin decided What the heck? How about I score the game-winning goal too.
In overtime, Ovi hit the back of the twine after a marathon, one minute and thirty-one second shift. Ovechkin, in his last gasps of air, took the puck down the ice, faked a shot, deked, and then rifled a shot past goaltender Cam Ward.
The goal was big for a bunch of reasons.
- Ovechkin leads the league in goals with 26.
- It was Ovechkin’s 100th career game-winning goal. He’s the first Capitals player to ever score 100 or more GWGs.
- The game marked Ovechkin’s 116th career two-goal effort.
- The goal was Ovechkin’s third OTGWG and the 22nd of his career – the most all time in NHL history.
- Ovechkin (584) passed Wayne Gretzky (583) for sixth all-time on the all-time goals with a single team list.
What a legend.
