The key facts

  • Alex Tuch recorded three two-goal games in his first ten NHL games — faster than Ovechkin in the 2005/06 season (11 games)
  • Washington beat Buffalo 4:3, with Tuch and Dylan Strome scoring two goals each
  • Ovechkin went scoreless in that game

Ovechkin's record fell in the game against Buffalo

Washington Capitals forward Alex Tuch broke Alexander Ovechkin's record for the fastest three two-goal games in the NHL, reports Championat. The Capitals newcomer needed just ten games to do it. The previous record belonged to Ovechkin and was set in the 2005/06 season — back then the Capitals' captain required 11 games.

Course of the game

Washington beat Buffalo 4-3. The game took place at Capital One Arena in Washington. Alex Tuch and Dylan Strome each scored two goals for the winners, while Noah Ostlund, Jack Quinn and Jiri Kulich... wait, the goals for Buffalo were scored by Noah Ostlund, Jack Quinn and John Doan.

Ovechkin without points

The Russian forward and Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin went scoreless in this game. According to Gazeta.Ru, he had also failed to register a point in a previous NHL game. Thus, Tuch's record-setting night coincided with Ovechkin's ongoing pointless streak — the editorial team notes that sources do not say how many games this streak has lasted.

Significance of the event

The event is notable because the record, which had stood since the 2005/06 season — that is, for about two decades — belonged to one of the club's main active players and was broken by his own team — and by a newcomer in just ten games at that. For Washington fans, this is both a source of pride in the club's talent pipeline and a reminder of a generational change in the roster. In practical terms, Tuch is cementing his status as one of the most productive rookies of the season's start, and NHL statistical services will, logically, update the club's record marks for the fastest three two-goal games.