As the season winds down, the Washington Capitals are still pushing and are not out of the playoffs yet. Each game, the players show up with their best performances and prove time and time again that they belong. Players who perform consistently get to experience exciting statistics, from monumental goals to milestone games and more. Let’s look at a handful of milestones that members of the Capitals have recently reached.
Cole Hutson: A Series of Firsts
Cole Hutson was a highly anticipated player in the team’s pipeline. He recently signed his first NHL contract and played his first career game against the Ottawa Senators. He scored an empty-net goal on the power play to help his team solidify its 4-1 win.
Related: Get to Know the Newest Washington Capital: Cole Hutson
Per Capitals PR, he is the fourth defenseman in franchise history to score in his debut and the first since Christian Djoos in 2017. He is also the second-youngest defender to score in his debut, eclipsed by only Scott Stevents in 1982. In Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, Hutson tallied his first career assist.
Alex Ovechkin: Making History Once Again
Captain Alex Ovechkin has put his name in the NHL history books yet again. Just shy of a year since he broke Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record, the forward joined The Great One in scoring 1,000 NHL goals across the regular season and postseason. Gretzky tallied 1,016 goals before his retirement, so it is still possible for Ovechkin to eclipse him in that statistic, as well.
The goal was a signature Ovi move: a powerful one-timer from his “office”. According to NHL Edge, the shot registered at 93.70 miles per hour — his hardest shot of the season that resulted in a goal. His performance is still unmatched, even at 40 years old.
Capitals PR noted that “Ovechkin’s 0.53 goals-per-game rate since turning 35 on Sept. 17, 2020, is the highest in NHL history by a player after their 35th birthday. In addition, Ovechkin has scored an NHL record 447 goals since turning 30.” In addition, he holds the record for most seasons with at least 25 goals (20) alongside Gordie Howe.
Milestone Games Played
A few players have reached milestone career games recently. Forward Connor McMichael played his 300th NHL game on March 12 against the Buffalo Sabres. All 300 have been played with the Capitals, and he has tallied 143 points.
On March 9, defenseman Matt Roy played his 500th career game against the Calgary Flames. He is the eighth defenseman from his draft class (2015) to play 500 games. Roy spent six seasons with the Los Angeles Kings before joining the Capitals last season and has totaled 147 points.
Forward Anthony Beauvillier reached the 700-game mark against the Senators on March 18. Beauvillier is in his second season with the Capitals and has previously played with the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He has 294 career points.
Other Milestone Statistics
A handful of other interesting statistics have been achieved lately. Ryan Leonard became the fourth Capitals rookie to score at least 15 goals in a season. He joins Ovechkin (2005-06), Jeff Halpern (1999-00), and Richard Zednik (1997-98) in the feat. He has 36 points this season.
Fellow rookie Justin Sourdif reached his 30th point of the season in the game against the Avalanche. These two are the first pair of rookies to have 30-point seasons since Bobby Carpenter, Chris Valentine, Greg Theberge, and Bobby Gould in 1981-82.
Defensemen Rasmus Sandin and Jakob Chychrun have become invaluable to the team. Sandin recorded his 20th assist against the Boston Bruins, marking his third consecutive season with at least 20.
Chychrun scored the game-winner against the Buffalo Sabres, giving him seven game-winning goals this season. This is the most by a defenseman in Capitals history, and the second most all-time. Aliaksei Protas notched his 100th career assist on Chychrun’s game-winner. Per Capitals PR, he “is the second player selected outside of the first round of his draft class to reach the 100-assist mark.”
With 11 games remaining in the regular season, there is still time to reach other milestones and end the regular season on a high note. Whether or not the team makes it to the playoffs, players can feel confident in their individual performances and satisfied with monumental endings to another special season. The Capitals continue their playoff push on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.
