It was a historic night for Washington Capitals sniper Alexander Ovechkin, who scored a hat-trick on Tuesday, joining Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe as the only players in NHL history to reach 800 career goals.
“Soon as it happened, kind of relief,” said Ovechkin following Washington’s 7-3 road victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. “Kind of happiness in general.”
The 37-year-old scored on his first two shots of the game, indicating that it would be another one of Ovechkin’s trademark performances.
“It’s a special night. To get two goals right away, I could feel the game,” said Ovechkin.