Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest hockey players of all-time, and Wednesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, he made more history. Ovechkin scored twice off of two gorgeous primary assists from Evgeny Kuznetsov, leapfrogging Bobby Hull for the 16th most goals in NHL history.
But that’s not all. The Capitals captain has the fourth most goals in NHL history among any player through their first fourteen seasons in the NHL.
Alex Ovechkin's 611 career goals are astounding enough but, as this shows, now only 3 players have recorded more within their first 14 seasons played in the NHL pic.twitter.com/6LS9mSQdqE
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 11, 2018
Ovechkin only trails Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Marcel Dionne with 611 goals. If Ovechkin scores 44 goals or more during the next 79 games, he would jump into second place behind the Great One.
The 33-year-old Russian has also scored two or more goals in 122 games since his debut in 2005, which is the most in the NHL since 1993.
Alex Ovechkin has the NHL's most multi-goal games since 1993. With his 2 vs VGK Wednesday, the @Capitals legend is now tied for 3rd on this list of great European goal scorers pic.twitter.com/duigUD3XkD
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 11, 2018
Since 2005, Ovechkin has 41 more multi-goal games than the next closest player, Sidney Crosby.
#ALLCAPS Alex Ovechkin records his 121st career multi-goal game. That is 41 more than the next closest skater since the start of 2005-06 (Crosby – 80).
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) October 11, 2018
Ovechkin also moved up to fourth place for all-time goals scored as a left wing. Luc Robitaille sits at the top with 668 goals, a number that Ovechkin should pass within the next two seasons.
Alex Ovechkin buried twice in a @Capitals win tonight, passing Bobby Hull in career goals. As this shows, now only 3 players in NHL history whose primary position was LW have had more pic.twitter.com/kRyKGxIz3F
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 11, 2018
Ovechkin has the third highest multi-goal games of a European player in NHL history. He trails Teemu Selanne and Jaromir Jagr
Alex Ovechkin has the NHL's most multi-goal games since 1993. With his 2 vs VGK Wednesday, the @Capitals legend is now tied for 3rd on this list of great European goal scorers pic.twitter.com/duigUD3XkD
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 11, 2018
With his two goals, Ovechkin tied Jari Kurri for fifteenth most multi-goal games in NHL history as well.
Ovechkin also ties Jari Kurri for the 15th most career multi-goal games in NHL regular season history (Most: 189- Wayne Gretzky)- also the 9th most by a winger (Most: 158- Brett Hull) https://t.co/DJthCmyAiD
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 11, 2018
The Capitals’ captain tied Joe Nieuwendyk and Mike Bossy for 57th most points in NHL history with 1,126. Ovechkin has a 1.12 points-per-game average over his first 1,006 games.
The goal also has tied Ovechkin with a pair of Hockey Hall of Famers in Mike Bossy and Joe Nieuwendyk for 57th all-time on the NHL's career points scoring list (1126) https://t.co/jHFpZJnoLx
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 11, 2018
It’s easy to normalize the greatness of Alex Ovechkin. He’s scored goals at an astronomical rate for so long that Capitals’ fans are accustomed to watching him shatter record after record. The Capitals’ captain is the greatest Russian hockey player of all-time and one of the greatest players of all-time.
Ovechkin came into this season in better shape, as a new father, and as a Stanley Cup champion. It took him three games into the season to break multiple records in a game. This is Alex Ovechkin’s world, and we’re all living in it.
Headline photo: Sportsnet Stats
