Ovechkin’s Historic Hat Trick Powers Capitals Past Canadiens
Alright, let me break this one down as if we’re just talking through it right now, because this Capitals–Canadiens game had everything—history, high scoring, drama, and a whole lot of Ovechkin doing Ovechkin things.
So, the big headline of the night was Alex Ovechkin moving into the top 10 on the NHL’s all-time points list. And he didn’t just creep in quietly—he blasted the door open with a four-point performance that included his 33rd career hat trick . With those points, he slid past Joe Sakic and cemented himself once again in the league’s history books. And keep in mind, he’s doing this at 40 years old, which is just absurd in the best way possible.
Also Read:- Strictly Rocked by Another Serious Allegation
- Khawaja’s Absence Sparks Chaos in Australia’s Ashes Opener
The Capitals ended up taking this one 8-4 over Montreal, and honestly, the game felt like an offensive showcase from Washington from start to finish. Ovechkin set the tone early, scoring just two seconds into a power play—yes, two seconds—off a clean Dylan Strome faceoff win. And here’s a little side story that added so much emotion to the night: Strome was playing while his wife was giving birth to their third child. He still managed to put up three assists, and Ovechkin made sure to highlight how locked-in he was from the opening shift.
But it wasn’t just the big names. Ethen Frank had his first career four-point game with two goals and two assists, and Sonny Milano added two more goals of his own. It really felt like a night where Washington’s depth stepped up, showing they can fill gaps when injuries hit. Their confidence is clearly rolling—they’ve now won three straight and collected points in four straight games.
On the other side, Montreal had moments of life, especially early on. Brendan Gallagher finally broke through with a power-play goal, Joe Veleno ripped a beauty into the top corner, and Nick Suzuki kept his line buzzing with a well-earned strike. Mike Matheson added another to keep things close in the third. For stretches, the Canadiens were generating chances and pushing the pace.
But here’s where things fell apart for them: goaltending. There’s no sugarcoating it. Sam Montembeault allowed three goals on 10 shots before getting pulled, and Jakub Dobes didn’t fare much better in relief. Too many goals were allowed on shots that simply shouldn’t have been dangerous. You could feel the air go out of the Canadiens every time Washington scored on what should’ve been manageable saves.
By the time Ovechkin scored his second and third late in the third period—one a classic wrister, the other an empty-netter—the Canadiens just couldn’t recover. And to make matters worse, Jake Evans exited with an injury after a heavy hit from Tom Wilson.
So sure, Montreal had flashes of strong play, but when you give up eight goals and can’t get a save when you need one, there’s only so much you can do. Meanwhile, Washington looked energized, opportunistic, and honestly, pretty dangerous.
And the biggest takeaway? Even after everything he’s accomplished, Ovechkin is still showing he’s nowhere near slowing down.
Read More:
0 Comments