Alex Ovechkin Records 27th Career Hat Trick Against Los Angeles Kings, Moves Closer to 700 Goals

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Michael Fleetwood

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Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images

Since before and after the All-Star break, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been the NHL’s hottest player. Ending the two games before the All-Star break with consecutive hat tricks, the Capitals’ captain for was named the NHL’s First Star of the Month for January. On Tuesday night, the 34-year old left wing recorded another hat trick, this time coming in a comeback, 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Ovechkin’s first goal came at the 13:50 mark of the third period, on an assist from T.J. Oshie. The goal was Ovechkin’s 38th goal of the 2019-20 season and his 696th goal of his career.

The Great Eight’s second tally came just 1:10 later, when Ovechkin picked up a loose puck from the pads of Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick and put it past the Kings’ veteran netminder to give the Capitals’ a 3-2 lead. Defenseman John Carlson was credited with an assist on the goal. The goal was Ovechkin’s 39th of the season and 697th of his career.

Ovechkin’s third goal to complete the “hatty” came at the 18:14 mark of the third, with Quick pulled for an extra attacker. The goal completed Ovechkin’s 27th career hat trick and gave him his 10th 40-goal season, with only Wayne Gretzky having more such seasons than Ovechkin.

Ovechkin’s 27th hat trick moves him past the legendary Maurice “Rocket” Richard for eighth all-time and a career-high four on the season. Ovechkin is now two goals shy of 700 and is set to reach the mark in 1,140 career games, which would mark the second-fastest in history. The hat trick also made the Capitals’ captain the 12th-ever player to score three goals within the final seven minutes of regulation, with fellow Caps great Peter Bondra being the most recent player to accomplish the feat in 1996.

Ovechkin, 34, is now on pace for a 60-goal season and marks the second-fewest games played by him (53) to reach 40 goals, with his fastest (52) coming in his career-high, 65-goal season of 2007-08. Ovechkin is now the active leader in game-winning goals, with 110, one better than Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks.

Ovechkin spoke after the game on his hat trick (his third in his last six games) and had a classic response when asked if he amazes himself with his productivity:

Ovechkin now has 40 goals and 17 assists for 57 points in 53 games played.

By Michael Fleetwood

About Michael Fleetwood

Michael Fleetwood was born into a family of diehard Capitals fans and has been watching games as long as he can remember. He was born the year the Capitals went to their first Stanley Cup Final, and is a diehard Caps fan, the owner of the very FIRST Joe Beninati jersey and since then, has met Joe himself. His favorite player became former Capital Nate Schmidt after he met Schmidt in a Hershey hotel while in Hershey PA to see the Bears play, shortly after Schmidt was injured during a conditioning stint. Michael is also a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Orioles, and enjoys photography, watching WildEarth TV's SafariLive live safaris, and watching animals in his spare time. (Photo by Adam Vingan in 2014 at the Capitals Development Camp).
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