Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin reaches 50 goals for 6th time

WASHINGTON (AP) Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin became the sixth player in NHL history to score at least 50 goals in six seasons, reaching the milestone Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Russian left wing netted his league-leading No. 50 a little more than 11 minutes into the first period, giving Washington a 2-0 lead when he took a pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov and sent a shot from just inside the left circle past goalie Cam Ward.

Only five other players have a half-dozen seasons in which they reached the half-century mark: Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy did it nine times each, and Mario Lemieux, Marcel Dionne and Guy Lafleur had six such seasons apiece.

The goal was the 472nd of Ovechkin's career, which tied him with Peter Bondra for the most by a member of the Capitals.

Ovechkin, a three-time NHL MVP, is playing in his 10th season for Washington, and Tuesday's game was his 755th, more than 200 fewer than Bondra's 961 with the franchise.

Ovechkin already owned team records for points, power-play goals, game-winning goals and shots.

He scored his 48th and 49th goals of the season in Washington's previous game, a 5-2 victory at the New York Rangers on Sunday.

After getting his 50th, Ovechkin dropped his left knee to the ice and pumped his right glove, then thrust both arms overhead. Many fans responded with chants of ''M-V-P! M-V-P!'' and then rose to give him a standing ovation when the goal was announced.

Under new coach Barry Trotz, Ovechkin moved back to left wing this season, his primary position for most of his career. A year ago, he led the NHL with 51 goals while playing mostly on the right side under previous coach Adam Oates.

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