Alexander Ovechkin cruised down the left side of the ice just 30 seconds into the second period, carrying the puck towards the offensive zone, just like he's done a million times for the Washington Capitals. He steps into the zone, rips a wrist shot that hits Calgary Flames goaltender Karri Ramo square in the pads. Ramo loses sight of the puck, but Ovechkin does not. He glides towards the net, collects his own rebound, and casually tucks it in the net to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead.
It's business as usual for Ovechkin, but this marked the 900th time he has contributed to a goal.
In just 764 games, Ovechkin recorded his 900th point. That makes him the second-fastest active player to reach that mark, behind only longtime NHLer Jaromir Jagr, according to Elias Sports.
"Honestly, I didn't know it was 900," Ovechkin said after the game. "It's a special moment for me and this team."
The 900th point puck with its rightful owner (and two guys who helped get him there). #Gr8 #CapsFlames #RockTheRed pic.twitter.com/Py0KsfTD0p
— Washington Capitals (@washcaps) October 21, 2015
Ovechkin would also add an assist on the night, putting him at 901 points. That puts him 103rd all-time in total points, sitting just a single point behind Arizona Coyote's forward Shane Doan, who has played in 1,400 games. He's also five points behind the Chicago Blackhawks forward Brad Richards, who has played in 1063 games in his career.
Ovechkin currently sits 11th among active scorers in the NHL. Every player ahead of him on the list has played at least 299 more games in their career.
“He’s one of those rare players you get to work with and you get to see on a nightly basis,” head coach Barry Trotz said. “It’s pretty special. To get 900 points in this league, you’ve got to be pretty darn good."
"To see what he ends up with in final totals when his career is done is going to be pretty astounding."
