The Washington Capitals only seem to improve as the regular season nears its end. With a win over the Anaheim Ducks, the Capitals extended their win streak to five in another high-scoring, high-paced game. With just 9 goals remaining till Alex Ovechkin draws level with Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record, the veteran had no shortage of chances to shorten the gap.

After all, the Capitals beat the Ducks in a 7-4 thriller, where Ovechkin notched a hat trick of assists. Yet, in a game where the Ducks seemed up to the challenge until the second half of the third period, the Capitals captain decided to play solely for his team’s success. Even during a moment where he may’ve chipped away at the record, the NHL star chose to help a teammate reach a career milestone.

So, what did Alex Ovechkin do? He helped teammate Aliaksei Protas get the first hat trick of his NHL career. At this juncture, a famous Wayne Gretzky quote comes to our minds: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

Alex Ovechkin passes the vibe check every single season!

Yet, what truly stood out to fans and experts alike was the veteran’s unselfish act of not trying to score himself. With barely 20 seconds left in the third period, the Ducks’ goalie had moved up, leaving the goal wide open. With a bit of skating, Ovechkin may’ve even beaten the defender in front of him.

The commentators noted the same. “Alexander Ovechkin has an opportunity, if he skates a little longer, to take a shot at that net. But finds the big man and makes sure he gets a hat-trick,” said one play-by-play announcer while breaking down the goal. Even in the heat of the moment and the possibility of narrowing the chase, Ovechkin remembered his teammate was on a hat trick.

Unsurprisingly, Aliaksei Protas hugged Alex Ovechkin right after achieving the career milestone, a grateful smile plastered across his face. Protas revealed the last time he scored a hit trick in any league was after the match.

“It was in the WHL, in Edmonton… I believe it was in 2019, sometime around the beginning of May,” he told reporters. To say the fans were delighted to see Ovechkin’s unselfishness would be an understatement.

Alex Ovechkin earns more than a trio of assists

Capitals fans showered praise on the 39-year-old’s selfless pass. “That’s my captain,” commented one fan while sharing the footage of Ovechkin spotting Protas and feeding him the puck so the 24-year-old could score the empty-net goal. Meanwhile, another fan explained that one pass was proof of the NHL veteran’s leadership skills.

“Everything you need to know about Ovi,” wrote the fans, advising the younger players to pay attention. “Take notes kids,” the fan added, hinting how his selflessness makes Alex Ovechkin a perfect role model, besides a goal-scoring machine. Meanwhile, Protas did take notice and expressed his gratitude during the post-match interview.

The NHL star explained all it took was a moment’s eye contact with Ovechkin. “And with an unreal accomplishment coming up, he makes that play and how happy he is for me,” said Aliaksei Protas. “That says everything about him as a teammate, and I’m happy to get it,” Alex Ovechkin’s teammate added in agreement with the fan.

No wonder that ice hockey fans left comments like“Team over self!” on B/R Open Ice’s post. However, the match between the Capitals and the Ducks wasn’t just a display of Ovechkin putting the team ahead of chasing Gretzky’s record. Early in the third period, the Ducks chased down the Capitals’ three-goal lead, and while the Capitals pulled ahead again, the Ducks scored the equalizer.

“So now all of a sudden, we lost momentum,” Coach Spencer Carbery said about the hectic third period. So, it took a team effort from Washington to seal the deal. Watching the Capitals beat adversity and Alex Ovechkin’s unselfish act convinced one fan to mention how the 2024–25 Capitals are “champions in the making.” However, a handful of people didn’t see it through the same lens.

One fan argued that passing to Aliaksei Protas was the only realistic option the 39-year-old had. While the NHL icon did have a line of sight to the wide-open net, he wasn’t in the best position to capitalize, argued the fan. “Awesome. But I wouldn’t say Ovi had a great chance there, made the smart play,” the netizen explained.

However, whether Alex Ovechkin had the chance or not, the fact that he didn’t squander another goal while trying to add to his own record chase was the sentiment that was stated by the fans. Yet, what did you think of the NHL veteran helping the younger climber climb a mountain? Tell us your views in the comments.