Sometimes early-morning news wakes you up better than any coffee. On the night leading into Friday, Alexander Ovechkin delivered exactly that: at 40 years old he recorded a hat trick against Montreal, added an assist on top of it and, in one evening, burst into the top 10 scorers in NHL history, pushing none other than Joe Sakic out of it. At the same time, the Washington captain is not just protecting his name, but moving at full speed: over his last four games he already has six goals and a total of 10+10 in 21 regular-season appearances – only four goals separate him from the top of this season's goal-scoring race.
Three Different Goals — One Hat Trick
Ovechkin's hat trick was spread out over the course of the game and rich in content. The Washington captain scored his first goal just one minute after the opening faceoff. Strome won the draw in the offensive zone, the puck quickly ended up in the high slot, and from there Ovi snapped it without hesitation right into the corner — another shot from his current office.
Late in the third period the Ovechkin–Strome duo clicked again. With four minutes left before the final buzzer, Washington broke away on a 2-on-1 rush, Strome drew the defenseman and the goalie to himself and then slid a soft pass into the captain's wheelhouse. Ovechkin calmly finished the break and extended the lead to a comfortable margin.
The final act was as spectacular as it was pragmatic: less than a minute after his second goal, the Russian hit the empty net from his own zone. Montreal had pulled its goaltender in a bid to save the game, but it was Ovi who put a bold full stop on the night — testing his accuracy and vision from long range.
A Record Night: Goals No. 905–907 and Point No. 1,641
The three goals against the Canadiens became Nos. 905, 906 and 907 of Ovechkin's NHL regular-season career. The record totals were being rewritten in real time as the night went on, and at the same time his point tally kept growing. In the 22nd minute Alexander led a rush, slipped a precise pass into open ice for Ethen Frank, and he made no mistake. That assist was the 736th regular-season assist of the Capitals captain's career.
That scoring play gave Ovechkin career point No. 1,641 and officially moved him into the top 10 scorers in NHL regular-season history, ahead of Joe Sakic. Later in the same game Ovi added more goals and points to that milestone, turning an important road contest for the team into a personal celebration of numbers and a symbolic push deeper into the league's pantheon of legends.
League of Legends: Ovi in the Company of Howe, Jagr and Selanne
What Ovechkin is doing at 40 has long gone beyond the bounds of ordinary athletic longevity. He became only the third player in NHL history to record a four-game goal streak at that age. On top of that, the Washington forward is just the sixth player in league history to notch a hat trick at 40 years or older.
The company he keeps is made up of names that command respect even from the most seasoned fans: Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk, Jaromir Jagr, Nicklas Lidstrom and Teemu Selanne. Ovechkin now fits into this cohort of evergreen stars absolutely naturally.
There was also a separate subplot – an almost completed "double" hat trick: the classic version and a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal + assist + fight). Judging by the flow of the game it felt as if he was just one step away from the full set: heavy collisions and physical battles kept raising the temperature, and Josh Anderson had no qualms about engaging the veteran. But it never escalated into a full-on scrap that would have officially locked in that rare feat as well.
Strome's Family Hat Trick and Teammates' Admiration
After the game his teammates talked not only about Ovechkin's records, but also about how he still manages to surprise even the players who see him every day. Ethen Frank, who put up 2+1 on the night, admitted that the team never stops being amazed by the captain's abilities; he stressed that Ovi, despite his age and the hundreds of goals on his resume, keeps finding new ways to decide games.
Ovechkin himself, in his postgame interview, as usual shifted the focus from himself to his teammates and singled out Dylan Strome in particular. The center finished the game with three assists (0+3), and away from the ice he had another huge moment waiting for him — his wife gave birth to their third child. In the end Strome completed his own "family hat trick", and Ovi spoke sincerely about how important this day was for his teammate and his family. For Washington it was a night when the celebrations on the ice and at home lined up perfectly.
Game Summary and the Main Takeaway for Washington
NHL regular season
Montreal Canadiens – Washington Capitals – 4:8 (1:1, 2:4, 1:3)
November 21, 03:00, Centre Bell (Montreal)
The scoring opened in the 2nd minute when Alexander Ovechkin found the net after a faceoff won by Dylan Strome – 0:1. The hosts replied in the 15th minute through Brendan Gallagher, assisted by Demidov and Dobson – 1:1. In the second period Washington stepped on the gas: in the 22nd minute Frank converted passes from Strome and Ovechkin (1:2), and a minute later the same Frank completed his brace off feeds from Lapierre and Protas (1:3).
Montreal cut into the deficit: in the 27th minute Veleno, set up by Gallagher and Matheson, made it 2:3, but in the 34th minute Chychrun, off a pass from Carlson, restored the Capitals' comfortable cushion (2:4). Another minute later Suzuki, with help from Bolduc and Carrier, scored the hosts' third goal (3:4), but by the end of the period Milano (37th minute, assisted by Sandin and Frank) stretched the lead again – 3:5.
In the third period the Canadiens briefly brought the intrigue back with a goal from Matheson (45th minute, assisted by Hutson and Caufield) – 4:5. But the end belonged to Ovechkin: in the 56th minute he finished off a counterattack with Strome (4:6), and in the 57th he buried a feed from Carlson (4:7). Milano sealed the final score in the 58th minute, capitalizing on excellent work by Lapierre and Frank – 4:8.
In Montreal's net Dobes stopped 21 of 25 shots, while Montembeault turned aside 7 of 10. For Washington, Charlie Lindgren handled 24 of 28 shots. For the Capitals this night was not only crucial in terms of banking two standings points, but also a symbol that the team can still lean on its captain as an elite goal-scorer and leader. And for the entire league it was yet another reminder that Ovechkin has no intention of easing off and remains an active part of NHL history — one he continues to write himself.
