Ovechkin’s Historic Night: Capitals Edge Canadiens in Thrilling Overtime
In a night that will be remembered for its drama and historic significance, the Washington Capitals’ star, Alex Ovechkin, added another chapter to his illustrious career. After a record-breaking regular season, Ovechkin made personal history in his team’s Game 1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.
Ovechkin scored the first playoff overtime goal of his career, leading the Capitals to a series-opening 3-2 win at home. This milestone came in his 152nd career postseason game, a testament to his enduring excellence and clutch performance.
Reflecting on his game-winning goal, Ovechkin humbly stated, “A goal is a goal. Good things happen when you go to the net.” His words capture the essence of his playing style—relentless, opportunistic, and always in the right place at the right time.
Ovechkin’s prowess in overtime is well-documented. He is the all-time leader in regular-season overtime goals with 27 in 1,491 games. This achievement is part of his career total of 897 goals, having surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals this season. Such feats have solidified his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, who made 33 saves in the win, was effusive in his praise for Ovechkin. “The guy’s the best player in the world. What else can you say?” Thompson remarked. “He comes in clutch. All game. It’s a privilege to be his teammate.”
The game-winning play was a team effort. After an icing call, Capitals forward Dylan Strome won a crucial faceoff. Montreal forwards Patrik Laine and Ivan Demidov failed to clear the puck, allowing winger Anthony Beauvillier to collect it for a shot on goal. Beauvillier then tracked down his own rebound and slid a pass to an open Ovechkin, who was waiting at the doorstep to score at 2:26 of overtime.
Ovechkin’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. He opened the scoring on the power play at 18:34 of the first period and assisted on Beauvillier’s second-period goal to make it 2-0. His overtime goal capped off a night where he factored in all of his team’s goals, marking the 37th multipoint performance and 10th multigoal game of his playoff career. Additionally, Ovechkin led all skaters with seven hits, showcasing his physical presence on the ice.
At 39 years and 216 days, Ovechkin became the oldest skater in Stanley Cup playoff history to factor in all of his team’s goals in a game. He also became the fourth-oldest player in Cup playoff history to score an overtime goal. The record is held by Detroit’s Igor Larionov, who was 41 years old when he scored a triple-overtime goal in Game 3 of the 2002 Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
- With his first goal, Ovechkin passed Patrick Marleau and Esa Tikkanen (72) and tied Dino Ciccarelli (73) for the 14th-most playoff goals in NHL history.
- Ovechkin’s 74th career playoff goal put him in a tie with Joe Pavelski for the 13th-most career playoff goals.
The Capitals, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, faced a resilient Canadiens team that rallied in the third period. Goals by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki 5:13 apart sent the game to overtime, showcasing Montreal’s tenacity.
“You can see why they made the playoffs. That team doesn’t quit,” Thompson said. “In the third, they didn’t go away. We’ve got to respect them. They took it to us in the third.”
However, Ovechkin’s heroics in overtime ensured that the Capitals maintained their advantage, preventing Montreal from gaining confidence and a series lead in their upset bid. “He played a hell of a game tonight,” Beauvillier said, summing up the sentiments of Capitals fans everywhere.
Originally Written by: Greg Wyshynski
