Having struggled to get a victory since their 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on November 18, the Capitals needed to have a good start to their Wednesday night tilt against the Florida Panthers, on a night where the team welcomed back 2018 Stanley Cup champion Brett Connolly. Not only did captain Alex Ovechkin do just that, but the first goal of the game was another beauty in a long list from The Great Eight.

Center Evgeny Kuznetsov carried the puck into the offensive zone, and with two Panthers’ defenders on him, dropped the puck to Ovechkin, who danced around a third Panther to get a shot on Florida goaltender and fellow countryman Sergei Bobrovsky. While he did not get all of the puck, it skirted past “Bob” to give the home team a 1-0 lead at the 17:57 mark of the opening frame.

Deked ya #CapsCats pic.twitter.com/b0zOnYg5QT

— Washington 🦃 Capitals (@Capitals) November 28, 2019

The goal was Ovechkin’s 16th of the season, tying him for fourth in the NHL in goals-scored. The goal is also his 13th against Bobrovsky in the regular season. However, the goal also moves the 2004 first overall pick closer to yet another milestone in the NHL record books, as he is closer to moving into 11th all-time in Goals Scored in the history of the league.

Already the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer at the left wing position, Ovechkin’s 674 career goals are 11 shy of passing Teemu Selanne (684) for the 11th most goals in NHL history.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) November 28, 2019

Kuznetsov’s assist gives him five points (two goals, three assists) in his last six games.

By Michael Fleetwood