Longtime Washington Capitals left winger Alexander Ovechkin has long been known as one of the best players in the history of hockey, and he certainly proved why with a huge career milestone against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Ovechkin started the game off hot with a goal just 24 seconds into the first period, which was the first indication that it would be a special night for the 37-year-old legend.
This was the 798th goal in his historic career, but he was not done there. He followed this up with another goal in the first period to put him one goal shy of 800 goals in his career.
It was very clear that the entire game was leading up to a special moment for Ovechkin all night. He certainly came through with just that in the third period with the 800th goal of his career.
It’s impressive enough to accomplish this feat, but to do so along with a hat-trick performance in Tuesday’s game is absolutely unbelievable.
Many took to social media to praise the greatness of Ovechkin after this brilliant game.
“Congratulations to Alexander Ovechkin on 800 NHL goals. We are truly blessed to watch such a talent in our lifetime,” tweeted Edmonton Oilers reporter Tony Brar.
“Taking into account the era he did it in, Alexander Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer in NHL history,” tweeted 93.7 The Fan host Mike Asti.
With this insane performance, Ovechkin became just the third player to ever score 800 goals in their career, joining Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe with that historic honor.
It was overall a great game for the Capitals, but Ovechkin certainly stole the show in an awesome way on Tuesday night.
[Washington Capitals on Twitter] [Photo Credit: ESPN]