Alex Ovechkin scores 800 goals, Capitals beat Blackhawks

Alex Ovechkin scored three goals to become the third NHL player to hit 800 career goals, as the Washington Capitals beat the lowly Chicago Blackhawks 7-3 on Tuesday night as the Washington Capitals hit consecutive bases.

Nic Dowd, Anthony Mantha, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Dmitry Orlov also scored as Washington won its fifth straight. Conor Sheary had two assists and Charlie Lindgren had 26.

In nine games with just one home game, the Capitals are 6-2-1. Starting Thursday night against Dallas, seven of their next nine games are at home.

Chicago is 1-11-1 in its last 13 games. It has scored just four goals in a four-match slump.

Ovechkin scored on his first two field goals, beating Petr Mrazek with 24 seconds to go, and then scored with 11:46 left in the first quarter. The 37-year-old wing then racked up his 29th career hat-trick when he rebounded off an outstretched Mrazek with 6:34 to go in the third quarter.

The rest of the Capitals celebrated on the ice after the landmark goal, and the United Center crowd tossed their hats and chanted “Ovi! Ovi! Ovechkin waved in thanks.

Ovechkin leads Gordie Howe by one goal for second all-time. Wayne Gretzky owns the record with 894 goals.

Ovechkin has scored seven goals in his past four games, a team-high 20 this season. His previous four goals came empty-handed.

Jonathan Toews, Max Domi and Tyler Johnson scored for Chicago and Mrazek made 23 saves.

It was Johnson’s first game since Oct. 25. He missed the game with a right ankle injury.

Washington forward Dylan Systrom played his first game in Chicago after signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Capitals in July. He was traded from Arizona State to Chicago in November 2018 and scored a career-high 22 goals for the Blackhawks last season.

“It’s been a lot of fun playing on this team,” Systrom said. “Unbelievable guys. Great coaching staff. Top to bottom, I think it’s been a very, very easy transition for me.”