After scoring seven goals in February, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had another month that was vintage Ovechkin! And it kicked his Chase to 895 and chase of greatness into high gear and got the Caps right back into the race for a Stanley Cup Playoffs berth!
What was once thought to be a distant fairytale, The Great Eight's chase of Wayne Gretzky's hallowed record of 894 goals — the top of the mountain among all-time career goal scorers — now seems distinctly within reach.
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Here the 10 goals Ovi scored for the Capitals during March 2024.
Career Goal Number 839
With the Capitals down 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night, Washington ran a set play off an offensive zone faceoff to get Ovechkin the puck in a good spot and the Great 8 buried it. The score was the first of a 5-0 run in the Caps' 5-2 victory. The goal (with assists from Tom Wilson and Hendrix Lapierre) gives Ovi 17 for the 2023-24 NHL season and 839 in his career.
Career Goal Number 840
With the Capitals up 1-0 early in the second period at the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington was on the power play and Ovechkin (fed from Dylan Strome and John Carlson) scored his 18th goal of the 2023-24 NHL season and 840th goal of his incredible career. The Caps would go on to complete an absolute shellacking of the hated Penguins 6-0.
Career Goal Number 841
After Tom Wilson brought the Capitals level in the second period, Ovechkin got himself in front of the net to tap in a rebound for Washington's second goal in two minutes of play and earn a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. The goal was Ovi's 19th of the season.
Career Goals Number 842, 843
With the Capitals up 1-0 in the second period in Calgary, Ovechkin got himself in front of the net and tipped in a lovely feed from Max Pacioretty to slip in his 20th goal of the season, and 842 in his NHL career. But Ovi wasn't done, he would get his second power-play goal of the night on the one-timer from John Carlson to give Washington a 3-0 advantage en route to a 5-2 win over the Flames.
Career Goals Number 844, 845
The Capitals, down to Toronto 2-0 midway through the second period got a power play opportunity and Ovechkin fired in his 22nd goal of the season and No. 844 in his NHL career. But the Great 8 wasn't done yet. In the third period, down 4-2 this time, Daln Strome led a Washington break and found an open Ovechkin who deposited his second of the night (No. 23 on the season) and 845th in his career. Ovi is now just 49 goals from tying Wayne Gretzky's record and 50 from being the new goalscoring king. Washington would fall to the Leafs 7-3.
Career Goals Number 846, 847, 848
With the Capitals down 2-1 at the start of the second period on Friday night, Alex Ovechkin on the power play found the back of the net for his 24th goal of the year (No. 846 in his career) and helped Washington take down the Carolina Hurricanes in back and forth contest 7-6 in a shootout.
But Ovi wasn't done on the weekend. With the Capitals scrapping their way back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs race, Washington and Winnipeg were goalless after two frames when they grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the third. Then it was time for Alex Ovechkin to score career goals No. 847 and 848 to give the Caps a 3-0 win over the Jets and slide into the final wild-card spot.
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