Ovechkin makes history with back-to-back hat tricks

Watch as Washington Capitals’ forward Alexander Ovechkin scores his second hat trick of the season, against the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price has now given up four goals in the first period.

Alex Ovechkin‘s season is off to a historic start.

The Washington Capitals captain registered a hat trick Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens—his second three-goal night in as many games after opening the season with three markers against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. It’s the first time a player has started a season with back-to-back hat tricks since three players accomplished it in 1917.

Prior to this, Ovechkin had never registered three-goal games on consecutive nights at any point in a season. The 32-year-old had a total of two hat tricks in the entire 2016-17 campaign, which also saw his lowest goal total (33) since 2011-12 (not including the lockout-shortened 2012-13).

His first hat trick last season came on Nov. 23 against the Blues, and he didn’t get another until March 28 in Minnesota.

Ovechkin is also the first player to score five or more goals in the first two games of a season since 1993 (Brendan Shanahan).

What’s even more impressive, is each of Ovechkin’s hat tricks came in a single period—the third period of Thursday’s win over the Senators, and the first against Montreal Saturday.

He didn’t stop at three Saturday night. He scored his fourth of the game—his seventh of the season!—in the second period.

This is Ovechkin’s 19th career hat trick—and at this rate, we may not have to wait long for No. 20.

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