Alex Ovechkin, of the Washington Capitals, has been named the NHL’s Star of the Week for the week of February 4th, 2009. Having just reached 800 goals in his career, he also leads his team with 35 points. With the Capitals facing a tough schedule this season, he and the other forwards must continue to perform at their best in order to earn the playoff spot.
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals was named NHL First Star of the Week. This marks the third time that Ovechkin has received the award in his career. It also marks the first time that a Washington player has received the honor in the 2021-22 season.
Alex Ovechkin has played a key role in the Capitals’ surge to the top of the NHL standings. He led all players with six power-play markers in January. He also has five points (two goals, two assists) in his last four games. And, as a member of the Russian national team, he earned a silver medal in the IIHF World Championships.
He has also earned the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league’s leading goal scorer. He has scored more than 50 goals in nine of his 18 NHL seasons, including a 50-goal season in 2009-10.
A two-time Olympian, Ovechkin joined the Russian team in late 2015 in preparation for the IIHF World Championships. However, Russia lost to archrival Finland. At the end of the tournament, Russia was eliminated from the playoffs.
In his eighth NHL season, Ovechkin has recorded 35 points in 33 games. With 59 shots on goal, he leads all players in the league. Despite his eight-point streak, he is still on pace to break his record of 30 goals in a season.
The Capitals are just one point out of a playoff spot. They host the Maple Leafs tonight. Meanwhile, goaltender Braden Holtby is considered a potential MVP candidate. Holtby has recorded 29 goals and 29 assists this season.
Ovechkin started the month with two points in the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic against Chicago. Two more goals and an assist on Sunday night boosted his total to five points in his last four games. Moreover, he was named to the fifth NHL All-Star Game in Columbus.
After the game, Ovechkin joined his teammates in celebrating his 802nd NHL goal. He is now tied for second place on the NHL all-time goals list with Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. Afterward, he gave the puck to his countryman, Evgeny Kuznetsov.
800th career NHL goal
The Washington Capitals player Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin scored his 800th career NHL goal on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. He became the third player in NHL history to hit the milestone, joining Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.
After scoring his first goal of the game in 24 seconds, he went on to score three more. With his 29th hat trick, Alex moved past Marcel Dionne, who has the most hat tricks in NHL history.
He has been one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the NHL since 2005. He has scored over 20 goals in 18 straight seasons and leads the NHL in goals. In addition, Alex has won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award, and the Art Ross Trophy.
Alex Ovechkin entered the NHL at the beginning of the 2005-06 season and has played in 1,305 regular season games. He is signed through the 2025-26 season. A year ago, he was the fastest player to reach the 700-goal mark. Now he is just two goals behind Gordie Howe for second place on the all-time list.
Alex has scored an average of 18.2 goals per season in his 18-year career. His record of 266 goals is the most in the NHL since 2005-06. This season, he has 20 goals and has a 92-goal lead over the rest of the league.
He was mic’d up for the game and scored his first goal of the night in the first period. He has seven goals in the last four games. During the celebration, he was surrounded by teammates who spilled off the bench to congratulate him.
His goal gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead. He also made an important primary assist on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s goal. Afterward, he celebrated his goal by jumping off the bench.
After the game, he received a standing ovation from the crowd. He said that it was incredible to see his goal. That was the last time he had scored in four games before tonight.
Ovechkin has a chance to move into a tie for second place with Howe when the Capitals host Dallas on Thursday.
Team-leading 35 points
Alex Ovechkin is one of the best players in the NHL and has been for a long time. He has had several amazing individual accomplishments. Among other things, he is tied for the most games played and most points scored by a player in the league.
In addition to his many accomplishments, Alex Ovechkin also leads the league in goals and points per game. This is very impressive for someone in his mid-30s.
This season, Alex Ovechkin has already passed Hall of Fame forward Maurice Richard for the 29th goal of his career. He is on a hot streak and is on the way to a career year. His 37 points through the first 24 games of the season is a very good start.
He has already made history by becoming the first Russian player to reach the 500-goal mark. As of last week, he is one of only two players with more than 33 points in the top fifty in points this season.
Last week, Alex Ovechkin became the first player in league history to have earned First Star/Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks. That means that he has been awarded this honor three times in the last three weeks.
In addition to earning First Star/Player of the Week honors, he has been selected to the NHL All-Star Team twice in his career. Additionally, he is a finalist for the Lester B. Pearson Award, which is awarded to the best NHL player of the year.
Not to mention that he has also won the Rocket Richard Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding Russian player in the NHL. And, he has won the Art Ross, Ted Lindsay, and Hart Memorial awards.
If he plays every single game this season, Alex Ovechkin is on track to become the second-best goal scorer in NHL history. The last player to reach the 300-goal mark was Wayne Gretzky. To reach that mark, he would have to play 221 games.
Even though he is 36 years old, Alex Ovechkin is still one of the greatest goal scorers in the league. With 20 goals and 30 points so far this season, he is on track to reach his personal goal-scoring record.
Career awards
In his career, Alex Ovechkin has been awarded many prestigious ice hockey awards. Some of these include the Calder Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Rocket Richard Trophy. He has also won the “Most Outstanding Player” award on four occasions.
After being drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2004, Alex Ovechkin has had an outstanding NHL career. He has made history by becoming the first Russian-born player to lead the NHL in goals and points, and is the only player in the league to score more than 40 even strength goals in a season since 1999-2000.
The 2008-09 season was one of Alex Ovechkin’s finest. He led the league in goals, assists and points, while establishing new records for points and goals by a rookie. Also, he was named to the First All-Star team. He finished with 52 goals and 54 assists for 106 points, while he was voted league MVP.
The 2009-10 season was another successful one for Alex. He led the league in goals and set a record for the most even strength goals by a rookie. He also was named the NHL’s First Star of the Month for January, averaging over one goal and two assists per game.
The 2011-12 season saw Alex Ovechkin win his third straight NHL Players’ Award. He finished with a team-leading 54 assists, 52 goals and 106 points. He led the league in goals and power play goals, and was a finalist for the “Most Outstanding Player” award.
The 2013 lockout shortened the season, but Alex Ovechkin did not let this slow him down. He led the league in goals and had a plus-minus of +79. His 38 goals and 27 assists led the Capitals to their second division title in three seasons, and they made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, the team was eliminated in the first round.
In 2011, Alex Ovechkin joined the Russia national team for the IIHF World Championships. Alex scored two goals and an assist in four games. Unfortunately, Canada defeated the team 7-3 in the quarterfinals, and the Capitals were eliminated.
