Ovechkin Hits 50 Goals With 1st Period Hat Trick (3/3/2008)

March 3, 2008 - After ending a 7-game goal-less streak in the previous game, Ovechkin and the Caps faced a red hot Bruins team on a 6-game winning streak and 17-7-2 in their past 26 games. With both teams in the playoff hunt, one wouldn't have been wrong to expect a tight-checking defensive affair. However the Caps came out flying. After an early Capitals strike, Nicklas Backstrom sent Ovechkin on a breakaway and he didn't miss as he recorded his second 50 goal season in 3 years. Having scored his 50th goal in just his 67th game of the season, he became the fastest player to reach the milestone since Pavel Bure did so in 63 games in the 1999-00 season. As of 2022 no player has scored 50 faster. Just 50 seconds later, Ovechkin scored his second of the game to extend the lead to 3-0. On a powerplay late in the first, Ovechkin finished a back door pass from Alex Semin to complete his 5th career hat trick. In the second period Ovechkin returned the favor to Backstrom as he sent him in on a breakaway of his own with a great pass to extend the lead to 7-1. Brooks Laich would tip in an Ovechkin shot early in the third for Ovechkin's second assist of the game, bringing his total to 5 points. The Capitals won by a monster 10-2 final score, and Ovechkin's epic performance vaulted him past Evgeni Malkin for the NHL point scoring lead. As Bob McKenzie would say on a TSN recap later that night (https://youtu.be/c1LXmOtuxPY), this game was probably the night that Ovi erased any question of who was going to win the Art Ross/Hart/Rocket Richard trophies at the end of the season.

- Period 1 -
0:00 - Intro
0:31 - Puck drop
1:19 - Goal #1
2:40 - Goal #2
4:33 - Counter hit on Marc Savard
5:02 - Goal #3, 5th career hat trick
6:54 - 1st intermission interview

- Period 2 -
8:06 - Assist #1
9:00 - Hit on Mark Stuart

- Period 3 -
9:50 - Assist #2, 3rd career 5-point game
11:01 - Between the legs deke
11:31 - Final buzzer
12:22 - Post game interview

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