Ovechkin reaches 20 goals for 20th straight season

Alex Ovechkin became the second player in NHL history to score at least 20 goals in 20 straight seasons when he scored his 20th against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

Gordie Howe is the only player with more consecutive 20-goal seasons, accomplishing the feat in 22 straight from 1949-50 to 1970-71. Along with Ovechkin and Howe, Ron Francis (20) is the only other player in NHL history to have scored at least 20 goals in 20 seasons over the course of his career (consecutive or not).

Ovechkin’s 20th goal of the season was also the 873rd of his career, moving him within 22 of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals.

The 39-year-old forward scored an empty-net goal at 19:01 of the third period in the Washington Capitals’ 4-1 win against Nashville.

Ovechkin has scored 20 goals in 27 games this season despite missing 16 games from Nov. 21-Dec. 23 because of a fractured left fibula.

Ovechkin, who was selected by Washington with the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, has never scored fewer than 24 goals in his 20 NHL seasons. That was his total during the 2020-21 season, which was shortened to 56 games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That season was also the only time in his career that he didn’t score at least 30 goals.

Ovechkin holds the NHL record for 30-goal seasons (18) and 40-goal seasons (13) and is tied with Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most 50-goal seasons (nine).