Alex Ovechkin has made NHL history and did so in fashion.
The Washington Capitals captain scored the 800th goal of his career Tuesday night, becoming the third player in NHL history to reach the 800-goal plateau. To make it even more impressive, Ovechkin notched a hat trick with the milestone goal as he got the puck with a wide-open net as Chicago Blackhawks netminder Petr Mrazek was sprawled on the ice. It was his 29th career hat trick.
Ovechkin now is one goal behind Gordie Howe's 801 goals for the second-most in NHL history.
You can watch the milestone goal here.
Wayne Gretzky, the all-time leader in goals, told Capitals owner Ted Leonsis he is prepared to follow Ovechkin if he's able to come close to his record of 894. If the 37-year-old continues to score hat tricks at this rate, he should be there in no time.
