Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin takes over third place in NHL all-time scoring race
Alex Ovechkin is now the sole-holder of third place in the all-time scoring race.
He hit the mark three games after he tied Jaromir Jagr’s 766 career goals. The goal came during the Washington Capitals home game against the New York Islanders.
Wayne Gretzky (894), Gordie Howe (801) and now Alex Ovechkin (767). pic.twitter.com/lSXPSxw8AW
— NHL (@NHL) March 16, 2022Off an offensive zone faceoff draw, the puck came right back to Ovechkin who quickly corraled the puck before finding the back of the net.
Like a fine wine, Ovechkin, now 36, has seemingly just gotten better with age. He’s in the midst of one of the most productive seasons of his NHL career scoring 36 goals and 71 points in 58 games coming into tonight.
His 1.22 points per game rate is the fifth-best mark of his career and the best per game production he’s had since the 2009-10 season, where he scored 1.51 points per game. That year, he scored 50 goals and 109 points in 72 games.
Ovechkin is operating at a similar clip this year. He’s projected to score over 50 goals in what would be his 8th season doing so, and his 98 projected points would be the most he scored in a year since 2009-10.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.