Ovechkin nets 3, now 29 away from Gretzky record

LAS VEGAS — Alex Ovechkin recorded his first hat trick of the season, scoring three goals Sunday night for the Washington Capitals in their 5-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.

It was his first hat trick since Dec. 31, 2022, against the Montreal Canadiens and 31st of his career, the sixth most in NHL history. Vegas became the 19th team in which Ovechkin scored at least three goals against in a game.

Ovechkin, 39, completed the effort with an empty-net goal with 37 seconds left, and with 866 career goals, he is now just 29 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal-scoring record.

The hat trick was also his 16th on the road. The only other players in NHL history with more are Hall of Fame forwards Mario Lemieux (19), Wayne Gretzky (19) and Marcel Dionne (17).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.