Another game, another milestone for Alex Ovechkin. The Great Eight scored his 30th goal of the season in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames at Capital One Arena on Tuesday night, in the process extending his NHL record for 30-goal seasons to 19. He also joined some elite company after tally No. 883.
“Alex Ovechkin’s 19th 30-goal season comes at age 39 making him one of just four players to achieve the feat at this age or older,” the NHL’s official X account shared. “Ovechkin joins Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk, and Teemu Selanne.”
Although it came in a losing effort, Ovechkin is now just 12 goals back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.
“My linemates, teammates do a pretty good job finding me out there and I just have to finish it up,” Ovechkin said afterwards, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.
Down 2-0 early in the third period, Ovechkin buried a vintage one-timer from the bottom of the left circle, going short side on Flames netminder Dan Vladar.
“A huge goal tonight,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said, per Gulitti. “Brings the building alive and gets us back in the game. From almost an impossible angle, but that’s what he does. He finds ways to score goals in big moments and that was an example tonight.”
After surpassing Mike Gartner, who scored 30 goals or more 17 times over 19 seasons, Ovechkin stands alone with the most 30-goal seasons in National Hockey League history. In 2024-25, he’s up to 30 goals in 42 games despite missing 16 games between November 21 – December 23 with a fractured left fibula.
“He’s one of a kind,” Capitals teammate Lars Eller said after the game, per Gulitti. “Inspiring to play with him and see what he’s capable of doing and certainly gives the rest of the group something to look up to and inspires you that at his age that he’s still capable of executing and scoring at the pace he is. It sets the bar high for the rest of us.”
Another Alex Ovechkin tally not enough to beat Flames
Despite even more Ovechkin heroics, the Capitals were unable to make it three consecutive victories. After coming out of the 13-day 4 Nations Face-Off break by crushing the Pittsburgh Penguins (8-3) and Edmonton Oilers (7-3) on back-to-back days over the weekend, they were unable to overcome a strong performance from the Flames on Tuesday.
Martin Pospisil, Matt Coronato and Jonathan Huberdeau all scored for Calgary, who have now won two games in a row after losing three straight. They continue to hang around in the Western Conference playoff picture, and now occupy the second wildcard berth in the conference.
For the Capitals, it was the end of an eight-game point streak; Washington had earned a point in 16 straight home games and not lost in regulation at Capital One Arena since November 23. Logan Thompson made 22 saves in the losing effort for the 38-12-8 Caps.
Ovechkin and his teammates will look to get back on track against the St. Louis Blues at home on Thursday night. After that, they’re home for two more games, with the Tampa Bay Lightning visiting on Saturday and the Ottawa Senators making the trip south on Monday.
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