Alex Ovechkin? Oh, he’s just out here doing Ovi things—sniping goals and making jaws drop, like it’s just another Monday night. A few hours back, the Caps got the party started early against Montreal, and who lit the lamp first? Yup, you guessed it—Alex freaking Ovechkin. The play had vintage Ovi written all over it: Dylan Strome busted into the zone, tossed it to Tom Wilson, and boom—a sweet cross-ice feed hit Ovechkin’s stick, and the sniper did what he’s born to do. That short-side flick? It was déjà vu of his iconic 895th goal. But wait—Ovi wasn’t done.

The man came out flying in the first period like a freight train with a puck, racking up two shots, four hits, and five solo shot attempts. And oh yeah, that goal? Just his 73rd in playoff action, tying him with Dino Ciccarelli for 14th all-time. Plus, he just breezed past Malkin and Potvin for the 8th spot in playoff power-play goals with 29. Ten Game 1 goals and counting for this legend. But not everything was cheers and confetti—after a big-time collision with Cole Caufield, fans are now divided on the hit, even as Ovechkin breaks yet another record.

During the high-stakes faceoff between the Capitals and Canadiens, Sportsnet lit up X with a little sideline drama. They dropped a clip of Alex Ovechkin doing what only Ovi does—skating through the zone like a tank with skates, bumping into Cole Caufield mid-glide. Cole took a tumble, and then crash-landed into the rink wall. The caption? Straight to the point: “Ovi knocks Caufield down.” And just like that, the internet split in two.

One fan chimed in with a mic-drop take, calling Ovechkin “a living legend”—and honestly, they’re not wrong. Just earlier this month, the man from Russia did the unthinkable: Alex Ovechkin officially became the NHL’s all-time top scorer, lighting up the net for his 895th career goal and cruising past none other than the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky. That 31-year-old record? Gone. Dusted. Rewritten by No. 8.

And oh, the cherry on top? That magical goal came against the New York Islanders with Gretzky himself sitting in the crowd, watching history unfold. The whole game hit pause for nearly 20 minutes—fans, players, heck, even the hockey gods—everyone stopped to soak in that moment. A standing ovation, stick taps all around, and a whole arena buzzing like they’d just witnessed a myth turn into a milestone. But not everyone was on the same page!

Fans express their feelings over Alex Ovechkin’s latest move!

Another fan jumped into the chaos and dropped, “Interference holy shit these refs are absolutely brainless!”—and honestly? That kinda summed up the mood in the comments. Now, for those just tuning in to Hockey 101, “interference” isn’t just a spicy accusation. It’s when a player throws some physical shade—whether it’s with the body or the twig—at someone who doesn’t even have the puck. But hey, it ain’t always black and white. Players can still plant their skates and hold their ground if they’re already in front and skating in the same direction. It’s not a free-for-all, but it’s not dodgeball either.

Still, the rules do draw a clear line in the ice. If you’re not holding the puck—or didn’t just have it—you can’t get smacked like you’re in a bar brawl. And if you’re just out here trying to pick up a stick or stay onside without puck possession, no one’s allowed to send you flying. And fans were not letting it slide. One viewer echoed the confusion with: “Is that not interference? The puck is 2 strides behind Ovi & Caufield never even played the puck.” So yeah, the debate’s skating on full speed.

But hey, not everyone was throwing shade—some fans were riding hard for Ovi. One even tossed out, “Alex Ovechkin introduces himself to Cole Caufield,” and like, c’mon now… who doesn’t love seeing Ovi flip the switch and go full on beast mode? Earlier this month, fans had their own lil’ theory about that sudden shift from mellow Ovi to full-blown wrecking ball. And yup, it all went down on the Washington Capitals’ subreddit where one fan stirred the pot with, “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.”

The theory kept rollin’, “I feel like he must’ve been worried about the prospect of re-injuring himself in a more serious way, and perhaps not being able to play long enough to break the record?” And honestly? With all the tough breaks happening to guys like Backstrom and Oshie, that theory kinda checks out. But then, boom—he’s back. Vintage Ovi, smashing dudes into the boards and waking up the crowd like it’s 2010 again. One fan summed it up with full goosebumps energy: “Alex Ovechkin nails Cole Caufield with a hit to the boards and the crowd broke out in Ovi chants.” Absolute chills.