Alex Ovechkin has made a career of beating goaltenders with a virtually unbeatable shot. But as he powers on through yet another season where he leads the National Hockey League in goals, he is approaching another impressive milestone that is overshadowed by his unmatched scoring prowess.
When John Carlson found the net on a wacky sort of goal on Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks, Ovechkin recorded his 19th assist of the 2017-18 season. Then he got two more against Carolina, giving him 498 for his career, just two away from the half-century mark.