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Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin scoring his 700th goal, Feb. 22, 2020 (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Alex Ovechkin’s Hat Trick Highlights 7-3 Capitals’ Win Over Oilers

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Christopher Babos | Last updated Feb 23, 2025 4:07 PM ET

The Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers collided in the second half of a back-to-back for both teams in the NHL return from the 4 Nations Face-Off. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid were held off the scoresheet yesterday, but that would not be the case inside Capital One Arena. McDavid helped Leon Draisaitl open the scoring for Edmonton, but Washington’s superstar, Ovechkin, stole the headlines with a hat trick in a 7-3 Washington victory.

Game Recap

The NHL’s leading goal scorer, Draisaitl, scored on the powerplay at 1:42 of the opening frame for his 42nd tally of the season. McDavid’s assist on the play was his 50th of the season, moving Edmonton’s captain into fifth place in the category this season. Nathan MacKinnon, a teammate of McDavid’s for the Championship-winning Canada squad at the 4 Nations Face-Off, leads the league with 66 assists in 58 games.

Washington pushed back during the middle portion of the period before tying the game on Tom Wilson’s 26th goal of the season at 17:15. Wilson leads the NHL with 10 game-tying goals. According to the NHL’s Live Stats website, he is the only NHL player with 10 game-tying and 10 go-ahead goals this season.

Edmonton’s Viktor Arvidsson took a silly roughing penalty at the top of the Oilers crease, putting Washington back on the man advantage. Defenseman Jakob Chychryn took advantage with a wrist shot through traffic that slid between the pads of Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard and into the net for a 2-1 Capitals lead heading into the first intermission break. He scored twice in the Capitals 8-2 dismantling of the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday.

The second period was a solid goalie duel between Washington’s Charlie Lindgren and Edmonton’s Pickard through the first ten minutes. Ovechkin extended the Capitals advantage to 3-1 with his 27th goal of the season on a shot from the slot that sailed past Pickard, who became the 181st goalie he has scored on in his career.

Ten minutes later, Ovechkin popped the roof off Capital One Arena once again on a one-timer powerplay goal from his left circle office to extend Washington’s lead to 4-1 with his 28th of the season. Washington’s Connor McMichael scored 67 seconds later for a 5-1 lead with only 15 seconds remaining on the scoreboard clock. The Oilers have struggled massively in the second period in the two games since their return to the ice with seven goals allowed in the middle period. Edmonton allowed four goals to the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday afternoon and conceded three more today to Washington.

Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on the backhand at 6:35 of the final regulation period to breathe some hope into the game for the Oilers. Dylan Strome responded four minutes later, restoring Washington’s lead to four goals, 6-2. With just under five minutes left in the game, Jeff Skinner glided untouched behind the Washington net before scoring a wrap-around goal for his 11th goal of the season to cut the Capitals advantage to 6-3.

Ovechkin hit the empty net at 17:22 to claim the hat trick and seal the 7-3 Washington win. His 29th goal celebration of the season brings the Russian star within 12 goals from tying Wayne Gretzky and 13 from setting a new regular season goal-scoring record in the NHL with 25 games remaining. Washington’s captain has 882 regular season goals in 1,467 games over his 20-year career.

WHAT AN AFTERNOON FOR OVI

He scores his 32nd career hat trick to move within 13 of breaking Wayne Gretzky's record! #Gr8Chase

Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS pic.twitter.com/Pyq8kDp7z7
— NHL (@NHL) February 23, 2025