Great Eight Magic: Alex Ovechkin Scores 20th Goal of the Season, Passes Brett Hull For Second-Most Power Play Goals In NHL History

Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images

Already having himself one heck of 2020-21 season after missing a handful of games due to being placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin has been on a tear as of late, coming into the team’s Thursday night tilt against the Boston Bruins with 12 goals in his past 16 games. Not one shy to history, The Great Eight continued his climb up the NHL record books with a power play marker in the second period.

With the Capitals down by a 3-0 margin in the second period, and on a extra man-advantage, Ovechkin took a feed from defenseman John Carlson in his wheelhouse, and made no mistake in putting it past Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman, the first time the Caps’ captain has scored on the young netminder.

Second most PPG goals ever 🐐 pic.twitter.com/MuVd9NkL1B

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 9, 2021

The goal marked Ovechkin’s 20th of the shortened 2020-21 season, and his 266th career power play goal. The marker moved him past NHL great Brett Hull for second on the NHL’s all-time Power Play Goals list, behind only Dave Andreychuk’s 274 power play tallies.

Alex Ovechkin scores on the power play to cut the deficit to 3-1. It marks Ovechkin’s 266th career power play goal, passing Brett Hull for the second most in NHL history. pic.twitter.com/EI1z81bWjJ

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 9, 2021

Swayman is the 146th different netminder on which Ovechkin has scored, compared to 6,487 skaters in NHL history who have scored 146 times or fewer in their NHL careers, putting into perspective the magnitude of the 2004 first overall pick’s legendary career. Additionally, Ovechkin is the eighth player in the NHL’s history to with 16 or more 20-goal seasons and just the fourth to do so from the start of his NHL career.

Alex Ovechkin of the @Capitals is the eighth player in NHL history with 16+ consecutive 20-goal seasons and the fourth to do so from the start of his career. #NHLStats: https://t.co/WZ4oQOrKin pic.twitter.com/eKVOfv7BOx

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 9, 2021

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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