Alex Ovechkin Enters Elite Top 10 NHL Club Following Hat-Trick Hero Effort in Pummelling Montreal Canadiens
The Washington Capitals’ early push in the 2025-26 season has been shaped by a mix of experience and timely scoring, and no one reflects that better than Alex Ovechkin. His presence continues to anchor a team fighting for space in a tight Metropolitan Division race.
As Washington works through its special-teams struggles and a demanding schedule, the group still finds ways to deliver standout performances. That momentum leads directly into the moment that put Ovechkin back at the center of another NHL conversation.
Ovechkin’s Hat-Trick Masterclass Lifts Him Into the NHL’s Top 10 All-Time List
Ovechkin has spent two decades breaking barriers, and his explosive night in Montreal added another highlight to a career already filled with historic moments. In an 8-4 win against the Canadiens, the 40-year-old delivered his 33rd NHL hat trick, pushing himself into the top 10 on the league’s all-time points list with 1,643 points.
His leap past Joe Sakic underscored how rare his production has been, especially at his age.
This performance came as he continues playing through the final season of his five-year, $47.5 million contract, which ends in 2025-26. Even with his future in question, Ovechkin remains a major part of Washington’s offense. He now has 20 points in 21 games, averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time and delivering in key situations.
The win in Montreal also pushed his career goal total to 907, extending a record that grows almost every week.
The game itself showed how much control he can still exert. Ovechkin opened the scoring just one minute in on a power play, added another late in the third, and finished his hat trick with an empty-net goal that sealed Washington’s dominance. His play lifted the entire team, with Ethen Frank and Sonny Milano adding important goals that kept Montreal chasing all night.
“It’s a huge game, a huge two points. Since the first shift, I think ‘Stromer’ was feeling it. Obviously, it’s a huge day for him and his family. It’s pretty cool,” Ovechkin said.
Washington needed that type of performance. Their season has featured strong defensive stretches but inconsistent special teams, and games like this help ease that pressure. Montreal managed to stay within reach at several points, yet every surge was answered by another Capitals push led by their captain.
This November run from Ovechkin has become a turning point. After a slower start to the season, he has strung together impressive scoring nights, including three game-winning goals. His recent burst has brought an energy that feels familiar to the Washington fanbase, one built on moments where Ovechkin takes over when his team needs it most.
Also read: Canadiens HC Sulks, Provides Damning Indictment as Montreal Gets Smacked By Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals
For the Capitals, the win in Montreal was more than a high-scoring night. It showed that Ovechkin can still shift a game on his own terms, even at 40. With his contract expiring, nights like this naturally spark questions about what comes next for a player who has defined the franchise since 2004.
Whatever the future holds, Ovechkin keeps creating moments only he can. Montreal saw the latest example, and the league will continue to watch as he climbs even higher.
