Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin was appropriately rewarded by the NHL for his recent monster week.
Ovechkin was named the “First Star of the Week,” the league’s equivalent of a player of the week honor, for scoring seven goals in three games and adding a shootout-winning score against the Sabres Saturday.
The Russian had back-to-back hat tricks for Washington in wins over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. He has extended his point streak to 14 games, a career high.
Ovechkin leads the NHL with 29 goals as a result of this scoring explosion; the next-closest player has 24. The Capitals’ captain has won an unprecedented seven Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies for leading the NHL in goals, and now he has a head start on winning his eighth.
The Capitals host their biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, on Wednesday.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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