If you thought playoff hockey was wild before, Game 3 between the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens just tossed that idea into a blender and hit turbo. We’re talking two goalies down, rivalries heating up like a summer bonfire, and a whole bench-clearing circus that had the NHL world glued to their screens. Sure, the Habs walked out flashing that sweet 6-3 win, but the real showstopper? The Gr8 one himself, Alex Ovechkin, was out there looking like a volcano about to blow. You could literally feel something explosive was cooking the second Wilson and Josh Anderson went at it, and when the Caps’ bench door dragged Anderson into a full-on brawl? Yeah, let’s just say it was less ‘hockey game’ and more ‘battle royale on ice.’

And of course, the NHL wasn’t about to let that slide like a missed slapshot. TVA Sports insider Renaud Lavoie hit X faster than a breakaway goal, dropping the mic with a post that said the league warned both teams to dial it back — warmups, timeouts, even after the horn — no funny business. “The NHL told management of the Canadiens and the Capitals to be more careful during warmups, tv timeouts and after the end of a period. League didn’t like the incidents that happened during last game.” And now, Alex Ovechkin’s fired up over a ref’s call post the NHL’s serious warning on the Capitals and the rest of the crew.

B/R Open Ice hopped on X mid-game and dropped, “Ovi is called for interference after a huge hit on Evans, and he is not happy about the call.” And oh man, it was pure chaos after that! Ovi came crashing into the side of Jake Evans‘ head well after the latter had let go off the puck—the refs weren’t having any of it. Next thing you know, the Great 8 is getting benched, and yeah, he was clearly not vibing with it.

Well, during the first clash between the Capitals and Canadiens, things got spicy real quick! Sportsnet decided to stir the pot by hopping on X, dropping a gem of a clip showing Alex Ovechkin doing what he does best—charging through the ice like a full-blown freight train in skates. Mid-rampage, he collided with Cole Caufield, who went flying like a leaf in a windstorm and thud—straight into the rink wall. The caption kept it short and sweet: “Ovi knocks Caufield down.” And just like that, boom—the internet was split faster than a stick in overtime.

Fans couldn’t help themselves, with one hopping on X and calling Ovi a “living legend”—and honestly, can anyone even argue that? Last month, the Russian wrecking ball rewrote history, smashing through Wayne Gretzky’s 31-year-old record by netting his jaw-dropping 895th career goal. Oh, and the best part? He did it with Gretzky sitting right there in the crowd, probably wondering if he should pass the torch in person! Plus, with Ovi clocking a game-high 7 bone-rattling hits, fans are now buzzing with all sorts of wild theories about his new no-mercy, havoc-wreaking game mode.

Alex Ovechkin’s new (old) side makes fans come up with theories!

Back when Alex Ovechkin was just the fiery new kid crashing into the NHL scene, his former teammate, Jeff Halpern, put it best: “Ovi was a missile.” And honestly, how could you even forget that entrance? First game, first shift, and BOOM—he sent Columbus defenseman Radoslav Suchy flying into the boards so hard, the glass literally shattered. Halpern, who centered that rookie squad, couldn’t help but laugh remembering, “Ovi used to run guys over. He was a monster on a forecheck. Even with the puck, if a guy stood up on him, he’d almost go through him.” Fast forward to today, and honestly, the echoes of that wrecking ball energy are back—and buzzing louder than ever.

Just a few games ago, the Capitals snagged a wild 5-4 shootout dub over the Hurricanes, grabbing the No. 1 seed in the East. Ovi might not have lit the lamp in the game, but he was out there dealing assists and keeping that six-game point streak rolling like a champ. The pregame celebration for his record-shattering 895th goal? Just the extra sprinkles on his legacy sundae. But fans?

Oh, they were noticing something way deeper than stats. Over on the Washington Capitals’ subreddit, one fan sparked the conversation wide open, posting, “It seemed to me that ever since Ovi came back from his broken leg, he has barely been hitting anyone, and then last night suddenly he was throwing himself at everybody on the ice.” One Caps fan even said, “I can imagine he felt somewhat guilty about all the record chasing distraction and the team slumping around that time.” Maybe so. But that night? Ovi wasn’t chasing anything—he was the storm.