Alex Ovechkin will be entering the Capitals’ bye week absolutely on fire.
The Russian machine had his second-straight legendary performance, tallying his second hat trick in as many games. It’s the third straight season Ovechkin has scored consecutive hat tricks (age 32-34 seasons)
With goals 1 and 2, Ovechkin tied and passed Mario Lemieux on the all-time goals list. With the hat trick, Ovi tied Steve Yzerman (692) for ninth all-time.
Folks, we’re likely watching the greatest goalscorer of all-time. Always appreciate this.
Hat trick video
Goal 1
Ovechkin’s first goal came on a semi-breakaway after being sprung by Nicklas Backstrom. Ovi ripped a shot past Semyon Varlamov to the far side to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead.
Goal 2
Ovechkin scored his second goal of the game 5:18 into the third period. Putting the puck through Scott Mayfield’s skates, Ovechkin chipped the puck towards the net and banked it in off an Islanders defender.
“Move over, Mario!” Joe Beninati yelled.
This is nuts pic.twitter.com/XkToe0lM5o
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) January 18, 2020
The goal narrowed the score to 4-3.
Goal 3
Finally, Ovechkin tallied the hat trick with a perfectly placed empty-net goal. He lifted his arms in celebration as fans threw hats onto the ice.
The goal gave the Capitals a 6-4 win. The Capitals scored five unanswered goals after Devon Toews did Evgeny Kuznetsov’s bird celly to taunt the team.
Ovechkin on the team’s mindset entering the third period down 4-1: “Everybody was kind of pissed off, but it’s the good thing about this group of guys. We never give up. It doesn’t matter what the score is.”
— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) January 18, 2020
Now let’s go to the stats because those are even more staggering.
That’s three straight multi-goal games for the first time in @ovi8‘s career and tally No. 6⃣9⃣1⃣ 🚨
The 15-time 30-goal scorer is now officially in the top 10 of the NHL’s all-time list. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/ukaHjduoom
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 18, 2020
Alex Ovechkin is on pace to go from 600 to 700 goals in only 159 games.
It would mark the fewest games to make that leap for any member of the 700-goal club. It also would be the second-fewest games to get from one 100-goal milestone to another in his career. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/jq2Qxh2FxI
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 18, 2020
Ovechkin also has scored 8 times in his last 3 games alone, plus owns 692 for his career. That ties Steve Yzerman for 9th on the NHL’s all-time goals list. He does it in his 1133rd career game (Yzerman played 1514) https://t.co/qK4R77Rabv
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) January 18, 2020
It marks the third time in Ovechkin’s career that he has recorded hat tricks in consecutive games (Oct. 5 and Oct. 7, 2017; Dec. 11 and Dec. 14, 2018).
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) January 18, 2020
Perhaps the most staggering number of all was that the 34-year-old Ovechkin played nearly half the second period and was double-shifted throughout the game.
Alex Ovechkin played 9:50 of 20 possible minutes in the second period
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) January 18, 2020
Does this man ever age? Russian machine never breaks.
Have fun in Mexico, kid.
Alex Ovechkin got a haircut ahead of his beach vacation in Miami pic.twitter.com/hvzgGtmPfH
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) January 18, 2020
Full RMNB Coverage of Caps at Islanders
Headline photo: NBC Sports Washington
