Alexander Ovechkin, the veteran forward for the Washington Capitals, earned an assist in the NHL regular season clash with Arizona. The Russian star sits at 1530 career points, composed of 839 goals and 691 assists, across 1404 games, placing him 16th on the all time list. He sits just one spot behind Paul Coffey, who has 1531 points across 1409 games.
The Capitals and Coyotes were in the third period when the update was noted, with Arizona holding a 4-2 lead. Ovechkin and his teammates were pressing to change the course of the game as the clock wound down.
This season, the 38 year old has appeared in 56 games, recording 17 goals and 28 assists. He continues to chase Wayne Gretzky in the historic race for the most goals in league history. Gretzky finished his career with 894 goals, while Ovechkin has reached 839, narrowing the gap to 55 goals.
Earlier in the season, Washington defeated Philadelphia by 5 to 2. After the opening period, the Capitals trailed 0 to 2, but the second period saw Ovechkin strike early and then contribute to the team’s offense alongside teammates Sonny Milano, John Carlson, Anthony Mantha, and Dylan Strome as the battle unfolded.
Ovechkin has a well-documented history of hard work in the opening periods of games, and this game against Philadelphia continued that trend, with his early momentum helping to set the tone for the Capitals’ performance later in the contest.