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Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has racked up quite the resume during his 18 seasons in the National Hockey League, most recently becoming the league’s second-highest all-time goal scorer. On Thursday night, The Great Eight scored his first goal since surpassing Gordie Howe in Goals Scored, in highlight fashion.

Ovechkin notched his 23rd goal of the 2022-23 regular season in the second period of the Caps’ contest against the Ottawa Senators at Capital One Arena; Erik Gustafsson and Garnet Hathaway recorded the assists on the tally, which came on a breakaway.

Goal #803 for Alex Ovechkin ✅ pic.twitter.com/khcKb02Ijo

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) December 30, 2022

By scoring the game’s first goal, Ovechkin added his 803rd career goal and added to his NHL-record game-opening goal total, with the marker against the Sens making 138 for No. 8.

Alex Ovechkin scores his 23rd goal of the season to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead. It marks Ovechkin’s NHL-record 138th game-opening goal.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 30, 2022

Ovechkin moved past NHL great Gordie Howe in the Caps’ December 23 game against the Winnipeg Jets at home, and now sits 92 goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894 goals.

Gustafsson, who recorded the primary assist on Ovechkin’s goal, continues an absolutely productive tear, recording a point in his sixth straight game (5G,5A). No. 56’s 10 points since December 17 rank first among league blueliners.

Gustafsson’s 10 points since Dec. 17 rank tied for first in the NHL among defensemen (Erik Karlsson: 1g, 9a).

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 30, 2022

By Michael Fleetwood