Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin has officially put the league on notice following a hat trick in a 5-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday evening at T-Mobile Arena. When the sun rose this morning, Washington’s 39-year-old winger was tied at the top of the NHL scoring leaderboard with 13 goals alongside the Florida Panthers’ Sam Reinhart and the Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Driasaitl. Ovechkin is the first 39-year-old to lead (or co-lead) the NHL in scoring with a minimum of 10 goals. It has been almost three years (since January 2022) since he held a share of the NHL scoring lead.
Washington and Ovechkin will not get much rest with a quick trip from Las Vega to Salt Lake City for the second game in a back-to-back tonight. The Capitals meet the NHL’s newest franchise, the Utah Hockey Club, for the first time at Delta Center. Utah started the season strong but has struggled with a 3-5-2 record over their last 10 games, including a disastrous loss in their last outing. Washington has been a force all season, including a 7-2-1 record over the same time frame.
Ovechkin Scored His 31st-Career Hat Trick
The captain watched mostly Capitals-themed hats fly toward the ice from the crowd for the 31st time in his legendary career on Sunday night — the sixth-most hat tricks in NHL history. Ovechkin scored in each period, including the empty-netter that released a beaming smile from the grizzled veteran after his 866th NHL goal. Ovechkin and his teammates continued beaming into the post-game breakdown from Head Coach Spencer Carbery. “How about the (expletive) hat trick from the big man,” Carbery shouted to the raucous dressing room. “Still got it,” Carbury teased Ovechkin while the two leaders of the Capitals franchise shared a quick embrace.
The hat trick moves Ovechkin closer to fifth place in the NHL history books for most career three-or-more goal games. Wayne Gretzky leads the category with 50 games of three or more goals, followed by Mario Lemieux (40), Mike Bossy (39), Brett Hull (33), and Phil Esposito (32).
Related: NHL Hat Tricks History & Fun Facts
According to NHL Public Relations, the road hat trick is the 16th of Ovechkin’s career, ranked fourth all-time. Lemieux and Gretzky are tied with 19 three-goal games on the road. Marcel Dionne scored 17 hat tricks in his Hall of Fame career.
It has been nearly two years since Ovechkin’s last hat trick, which occurred on Dec. 31, 2022, against the Montreal Canadiens. The Capitals scored 32 seconds into the game, leading to a 9-2 rout of Montreal at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin scored in the second period before adding two more in the final frame. The goals were his 24th, 25th, and 26th of the season; he finished with 42 goals that season.
More History in the Gretzky vs. Ovechkin Saga
Ovechkin continues to be listed alongside Gretzky in NHL history. According to Capitals PR, his multi-goal game last night was the 176th contest with at least two goals. Gretzky is the only name ahead of him with 189 two-or-more goal games, leaving the Capitals forward with 13 multi-goal games to go to steal another record from Gretzky. Ovechkin already holds the record for most road two-goal games with 99.
With all eyes on the Ovechkin’s scoring-record chase (he has 866 goals to Gretzky’s 894) Gretzky suggested the scoring title could change hands sooner than most people thought possible. “It’s a matter of time,” Gretzky told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. “Whether it’s late this year, early next year, whenever.” From his side of things, Ovechkin thinks “it’s pretty cool stuff” that Gretzky is rooting for him, Washington’s captain hasn’t lost sight of the main goal. “…the most important thing is win another Cup,” Ovechkin said. “It’s not about the record.”
If Ovechkin keeps scoring hat tricks, Washington will likely continue to add wins to their 12-4-1 record this season. The Capitals take on Utah tonight in Salt Lake City at 9 p.m. EST.
