It didn’t take Alex Ovechkin long to make his mark on Wednesday’s Rivalry Night game against the Rangers.
Ovechkin scored his 45th goal of the year on the power play at 11:43 of the first period, marking the 21st time this season he’s tallied with the man advantage:
With the goal, Ovechkin also strengthened his NHL lead in PP markers -- he’s now four up on San Jose’s Joe Pavelski -- and has turned his sights to catching teams.
Yes, teams. From NHL Network host Mike Kelly:Alex Ovechkin (21) has more powerplay goals than the Buffalo Sabres (20)
— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) March 12, 2015
Buffalo is in action tonight -- the Sabres have scored three even-strength goals against Toronto -- so it’s not clear how long this distinction will last.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering... Ovechkin would need eight more power play goals to catch the next team on the list: Colorado, which sits 29th in the NHL with 29 PPG.