* Alex Ovechkin netted multiple goals for the second time in as many games and pushed ‘The Gr8 Chase’ to the forefront of action around the League once again – this time by finding the back of the net in his first game against a franchise for the 18th time.
* The Capitals captain needs 26 goals in his next 42 games to not only tie Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history, but reach No. 894 in one fewer game than The Great One did.
* Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks were one of five other teams to earn a victory Monday as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft became one of the youngest players in League history at the time of his first career regular-season overtime goal.
OVECHKIN CONTINUES TORRID SCORING PACE WITH ANOTHER MULTI-GOAL OUTING
‘The Gr8 Chase’ took over the NHL schedule for the second time in as many nights after Alex Ovechkin (2-0—2) once again scored multiple goals and moved within 26 of tying Wayne Gretzky for the most in League history. Gretzky required fewer games than Ovechkin to reach every significant goal milestone to date, but the Capitals captain needs to score 26 times within his next 42 games – a feat he has accomplished at least once in 15 of his previous 19 career seasons to date – to reach No. 894 in one fewer outing than the Great One.
* Ovechkin, who became the first player in NHL history with 100 career multi-goal games on the road, scored multiple goals in consecutive days for the fifth time in his career to tie Dino Ciccarelli, Mario Lemieux, Jari Kurri and Maurice Richard for the second most in NHL history. Wayne Gretzky (6x) is the only skater with more.
* The Capitals captain has an NHL-leading 15 goals in 18 games in 2024-25 and his current goals-per-game rate of 0.83 is the highest in a single season in NHL history by a player age 39 or older (age based at start of season), ahead of Gordie Howe (44 in 76 GP; 0.58 G/GP in 1968-69). He also became the oldest player in League history to be the first to 15 goals in a single campaign and did so roughly five years older than Frank Mahovlich in 1971-72 (33 years, 304 days on Nov. 10, 1971).
* Ovechkin’s fifth tally in two games marked his fifth consecutive regulation period with a goal – the second-longest stretch of his career (6 periods from Dec. 11-14, 2018). Only seven other players in NHL history have also had multiple stretches of five or more periods: Joe Malone (5x), Gretzky (3x), Kurri (2x), Teemu Selanne (2x), Mike Bossy (2x), Babe Dye (2x) and Odie Cleghorn (2x).
NEW OPPONENT, SAME RESULTS FOR OVECHKIN
Just 24 hours removed from a hat trick against the Golden Knights, Alex Ovechkin followed up the performance with two more goals against Utah to join Evgeni Malkin and Eric Lindros as the third player in NHL history to score in their first game against 18 different clubs.
* The Capitals captain is no stranger to scoring multiple goals in his first meeting against a franchise and accomplished the feat for the sixth time (UTA, CBJ, FLA, TOR, ANA & PHX), tied with Joe Nieuwendyk (6) for the second most in NHL history; one behind Luc Robitaille (7). Overall, he joined Sidney Crosby (30) as the second player in NHL history with a multi-goal game against 30 different franchises.
* Ovechkin put a puck past Connor Ingram for the first time in his career and notched his 132nd career game-winning goal – three back of Jaromir Jagr’s NHL record – as Utah became the 28th different franchise he has scored a winner against. The only players with a game-winning goal against more franchises are Patrick Marleau (30), Jeff Carter (30), Nathan MacKinnon (30), Brendan Shanahan (29), Mats Sundin (29), Malkin (29), Sebastian Aho (29) and Kyle Palmieri (29).
AROUND THE RINKS
* San Jose scored three game-tying goals before Detroit netted one of their own with 2:06 remaining in regulation to send the game beyond regulation. Macklin Celebrini (18 years, 158 days) scored the winner in the extra frame and became the third-youngest player in NHL history at the time of their first regular-season overtime goal, behind Sidney Crosby (18 years, 101 days on Nov. 16, 2005) and Jordan Staal (18 years, 153 days on Feb. 10, 2007).
* Cale Makar (2-0—2) scored two of three Avalanche goals as Colorado withstood Philadelphia’s three-goal comeback attempt. Makar joined Roman Josi (20x), Erik Karlsson (17x), Kris Letang (17x), Brent Burns (15x), Victor Hedman (13x), Justin Faulk (11x) and Dougie Hamilton (10x) as the eighth active defenseman with at least 10 career multi-goal games.
* Sam Montembeault turned aside all 30 shots he faced as the Canadiens blanked the Oilers on Prime Monday Night Hockey. Montreal held both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl without a point for the sixth time – the second most among all teams, behind only the Flames (10).
* Justin Danforth scored the second of two shorthanded goals for the Blue Jackets in a victory against the Bruins. Columbus netted multiple shorthanded goals in a single contest for the sixth time in franchise history and first since Dec. 31, 2022. Washington (2 on Oct. 22) is the only other team to score two shorthanded goals in a game this season.
* The Ducks earned their first win in Dallas since March 1, 2015 as Olen Zellweger ignited the offense with his second goal in as many games. He became the third Ducks defenseman, age 21 or younger, to score in consecutive contests. The others: Cam Fowler (3 GP in 2010-11 & 2 GP in 2013-14) and Oleg Tverdovsky (2x; 2 GP in 1995-96).
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats: Live Updates – Nov. 18, 2024
* Connor McDavid, Mason Marchment, Andrei Vasilevskiy named the “Three Stars” for the week
* Celebrate women in hockey with Canadiens VP of hockey communications Chantal Machabée
* NHL Foundation in U.S. and Canada to focus on 5 key pillars
SEVERAL STREAKS AND STORYLINES SOUGHT IN SEVEN-GAME SLATE
A star-studded seven-game Tuesday in the NHL features several streaks and storylines, including Kirill Kaprizov looking to extend his road point streak when the Wild visit the Blues for a showdown broadcast nationally in the U.S. on ESPN+ and Hulu. Further north, Sidney Crosby pursues a milestone when the Penguins clash with the Lightning on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
* Kaprizov enters Tuesday’s contest against the Blues with a point in each of his past nine road games dating to Oct. 15 (6-15—21) – the NHL’s longest active road point streak. He can tie teammate Joel Eriksson Ek (10 GP in 2022-23) for the longest such stretch in franchise history.
* Crosby (599) will look to join Mario Lemieux (690) as the second player in Penguins history to reach 600 career goals. Crosby, who has 24-41—65 in 49 career contests against Tampa Bay, can also become just the second active player to hit the mark – he would join Alex Ovechkin (868).
* Sam Reinhart has a point in each of his past 10 games and will look to extend his streak when the Panthers visit the Jets. He can become just the second player in franchise history to record multiple streaks of 11 or more contests after posting a 13-game run last season – he would join Pavel Bure (3x: 13 GP in 1999-00, 11 GP in 2000-01 & 11 GP in 1999-00).
* Mark Scheifele and the League-leading Jets aim to improve to 9-1-0 through 10 home games this season. The Winnipeg forward has recorded at least a point in each of those nine contests at Canada Life Centre and will look to become the sixth player in franchise history to post a double-digit home point streak, following Kyle Connor (11 GP in 2022-23), Josh Morrissey (10 GP in 2022-23), Blake Wheeler (10 GP in 2018-19), Marian Hossa (10 GP in 2006-07 w/ ATL) and Marc Savard (10 GP in 2005-06 w/ ATL).
