Great 8's No. 500 Equals 12 for Caps

Ovechkin's amazing goal helps lift Caps past Blueshirts

By BRETT FEINBERG

Updated 11:46 AM EDT, Fri, Feb 5, 2010

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Stay away unlucky No. 13.

The Capitals extended their winning streak to 12 games Thursday night in Madison Square Garden, and play again tonight down at the Verizon Center (if the snow doesn't stop things first).

Even though the players will most likely play in an empty arena, the Caps are so red hot, the team could melt the two feet of snow expected to fall. The Caps go for win No. 13 in a row against the Ilya Kovalchuk-less Thrashers. The all-time record is 17 set by the Penguins in the 1992-93 season.

Alex Ovechkin was excited after Thursday's come-from-behind win.

"We're pretty confident," he said after the game. "There is a good atmosphere in the locker room. This team is playing good right now and feel good about ourselves. If I don't play well, a different guy steps up. We play for each other."

Last night The Great 8 hit another milestone. He tallied two goals and an assist, and his second goal was another unbelievable one (maybe one of his top 10 best ever), to reach 500 career points in the NHL. Watch it below.

Owner Ted Leonsis is never shy about giving his opinion. On his own Web site, Ted's Take, he gave much praise to his superstar.

"Five hundred points in less than 5 seasons. Historic. Don’t take Alex Ovechkin for granted. Ever. It is an honor to watch him play. We are fortunate. We are blessed. This is so much fun."

So Ovie reaches 500 points in 373 games. He's the fastest since Eric Lindros to reach the mark. Let's hope Ovie's career continues to get better, unlike Lindros' injury-marred career.

If you have an SUV or are near an underground Metro stop and feel like venturing out in a winter blizzard, watching Ovie and the Caps go for No. 13 will be worth the trip to downtown D.C.