Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin scored twice to reach the 30-goal mark for the 20th time in his NHL career, a new league record, in a 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night at Capital One Arena.
The 40-year-old left wing opened his account at 18:35 of the first period. Matt Roy carried the puck to the net, pulling Flyers goalie Dan Vladar toward the left post. That left space for Ovechkin to tap in the rebound and tie the game. His second goal came at 3:47 of the third period, a diving snap shot from the bottom of the right circle off a backhand pass from Connor McMichael. The tally made the score 5-3 and sealed his milestone.
Ovechkin now leads the Capitals with 31 goals in 75 games this season. That boosts his NHL-record career total to 928 regular-season goals. He passed Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894 with his 895th against the New York Islanders on April 6, 2025. Including 77 playoff goals, Ovechkin has reached 1,005 combined NHL goals, second only to Gretzky’s 1,016.
This achievement extends Ovechkin’s dominance in goal-scoring history. He previously held the record for 30-goal seasons at 19; now he leads Mike Gartner, who had 17 over 19 seasons before retiring in 1998. Ovechkin also owns the record for 40-goal seasons with 14 and shares the mark for 50-goal seasons with nine alongside Gretzky and Mike Bossy. He ranks second to Gordie Howe in 20-goal seasons with 21.
Only three other players have scored 30 goals at age 40 or older: Howe with 44 in 1968-69 and 31 in 1969-70, Johnny Bucyk with 36 in 1975-76, and Teemu Selanne with 31 in 2010-11. Ovechkin joined them as the fourth.
The win highlighted Washington’s depth beyond their star. The Capitals overcame a back-and-forth contest to improve their position in the standings. With the regular season winding down, Ovechkin’s hot streak keeps them in playoff contention in the Metropolitan Division. His consistency at this stage of his career underscores his place among the all-time greats, chasing further records as the postseason nears.
The consistency and longevity of Alex Ovechkin will be studied for generations 📖 pic.twitter.com/eRqEa8rlr7
— NHL (@NHL) March 31, 2026
