Alex Ovechkin rankings thirty second profession hat trick to transport nearer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time document

Alex Ovechkin is inching nearer and nearer to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time targets document — and on Sunday, he gave himself a large spice up. The Washington Capitals captain scored his thirty second profession hat trick in Sunday’s sport towards the Edmonton Oilers.Ovechkin’s 3 issues marked his 880th, 881st and 882nd profession targets. The 39-year-old winger is now inside 13 targets of breaking Gretzky’s all-time document of 894.Ovechkin’s first two targets got here in the second one length of Sunday’s sport. His first used to be a well-placed shot proper down the middle.Ovechkin’s 2nd function got here all through an influence play overdue within the length, with the winger hitting a wonderful shot from the left facet off a move from Jakob Chychrun.With the Capitals up 6-3 close to the top of the 3rd length, Ovechkin hit an empty-netter to safe his hat trick. As hats rained down at the rink, Ovechkin took a lap across the ice to fist-bump his teammates and his son, who sat in the back of the glass. The function iced a dominant 7-3 win for Washington.Twenty-six years after Gretzky scored his ultimate function, Ovechkin is now inside placing distance of that document. The ahead began the 2024-2025 season scorching, scoring 15 targets in 18 video games. Alternatively, Ovechkin suffered a damaged fibula in November, inflicting him to pass over 5 weeks and prompting many to concern that he would not have the ability to take a run on the document this season.Sunday used to be Ovechkin’s 2nd hat trick of the 2024-2025 season, after scoring 3 targets on Nov. 17 towards the Vegas Golden Knights — days sooner than the damage that sidelined him.The 39-year-old hasn’t ignored a beat since returning to play, scoring 4 targets in his first 5 video games again, and proceeding on a scorching streak because the season has long gone on. Ovechkin these days sits at 7th within the NHL with 29 targets this season, regardless of best enjoying in 40 video games.There are 25 video games left within the common season, giving Ovechkin a variety of time to head for Gretzky’s document sooner than the playoffs.