Alex Ovechkin continues to etch his name deeper into NHL history, solidifying his reputation as the league's most prolific goal-scorer. The Washington Capitals' captain found the back of the net once again during Wednesday's clash against the Ottawa Senators, marking his 25th goal of the season. With this milestone, Ovechkin ties the NHL record for the most 25-goal seasons ever.
The goal came midway through the second period, with the scoreboard still blank. As the puck made its way to the blueline, defenseman Rasmus Sandin gathered it and launched a shot towards the net. Ovechkin, ever the predator near the crease, deftly redirected the puck past Senators’ goalie Linus Ullmark, breaking the deadlock.
This latest goal marks the 20th time in Ovechkin's illustrious career that he's reached the 25-goal mark in a season. Remarkably, he's accomplished this feat in all but one of his NHL campaigns.
The exception was the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, where he narrowly missed the mark, finishing just one goal shy. Yet, even then, he was scoring at a blistering 43-goal pace over a full 82-game stretch.
By tying Gordie Howe for the most 25-goal seasons, Ovechkin stands shoulder to shoulder with one of hockey's legends. However, Ovechkin achieved this in far fewer seasons-20 out of 21-compared to Howe's 26. It's worth noting that Howe played during an era of shorter seasons, surpassing the 70-game mark only four times.
Ovechkin also boasts the longest streak of consecutive 25+ goal seasons, spanning 15 years from 2005-06 to 2019-20. Howe's best streak was 11 seasons, from 1949-50 to 1959-60. As Ovechkin continues to score and set records, he remains a living legend, captivating fans and rewriting the record books with each passing game.