Alex Ovechkin scores 33rd career hat trick in Capitals’ 8-4 beatdown of Canadiens: ‘Right now we kind of start clicking’

Alex Ovechkin had another legendary performance in one of his favorite barns in hockey.

At Bell Centre, Ovechkin scored once against Sam Montembeault and twice against Jakub Dobes to notch his 33rd career hat trick in the Washington Capitals’ 8-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

The goals were Ovechkin’s 905th, 906th, and 907th goals of his career. Ovechkin, at age 40 and 64 days, is the sixth-oldest player to score a hat trick.

Alex Ovechkin’s 33rd career hat trick

Ovechkin’s first goal of the game came off a Dylan Strome faceoff win, a minute into the game. Two seconds after Juraj Slafkovský went to the box for high-sticking Aliaksei Protas, The Great 8 sent a snap shot past Sam Montembeault, far side, to put the Capitals up 1-0. The power-play goal extended his PPG record to 327.

Goal 2 (Career goal no. 906)

Ovechkin’s second goal of the night came on a two-on-one break with Strome. The Caps’ first-line center sent a pass to Ovi on the right wing, who quickly fired a shot short side past Dobes.

Hat-trick goal (Career goal no. 907)

Ovi’s hat trick goal came on an empty net from 153 feet away in the defensive zone. Right down the middle of the ice. What a mensch.

On the night, Ovechkin had four points (3g, 1a) and scored on all three of his shots in 15:35 of ice time. He had six individual shot attempts at all strengths.

“Yeah, I think right now we kind of start clicking,” Ovechkin said postgame to Monumental Sports Network’s Al Koken. “You can see we hold the puck in the zone, created chances for everybody. And obviously if you feel it and you have the confidence, of course you’re gonna put it in.”

The hat trick marks Ovechkin’s fourth career hatty against Montreal and the first at Bell Centre

“Yeah, it’s a great place to play hockey,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously, media, fans, it’s very special.”

All of Alex Ovechin’s hat tricks