History was rewritten Saturday night when Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin secured his second hat trick in two games to open the 2017-2018 NHL Season.

While already impressive, Ovechkin’s feat is even more significant when viewed in the context of NHL history. The last time a player notched three goals in his first two games of the season was in 1917 when three players accomplished it.

Cy Denneny, Joe Malone, and Reg Noble each scored a hat trick in their first two games of the league’s inaugural 1917-18 season, and were the only men to ever have done so until Ovechkin put up three goals against Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens. It had been exactly a century since it was last done.

The 32 year old Russian national has already equaled his hat trick total from the 2016-2017 campaign, when he scored one in November and another in March. Ovechkin has accumulated 18 hat tricks in the NHL since he was selected #1 overall in the 2004 NHL Draft.

There is talk that Ovechkin is under greater than usual pressure to perform this season thanks to the NHL’s ineligibility for the Olympics, a decrease in depth on the Capitals’ roster, and a closing window for  his team to win the cup.

The Capitals have never won a Stanley Cup in their 43 year history.  Fortunately for Caps fans, he is already leading the league in goals and points as of Oct. 12, four games into the season.

Despite the strong start, Capitals fans have been here before. A strong showing during the regular season followed by heartbreak in the playoffs is becoming a fact of life for the D.C. franchise. However, Ovechkin’s exploits are impressing some fans.

“It’s pretty impressive,” senior Sam Kukulich said. “It’ll probably be a comeback season for him. Last year he slumped, he had like 33 goals or something? He’s probably going to pass 50 this year.”

No matter the team’s  recent  history of failure, Alexander Ovechkin is definitely giving Capitals fans something to smile about so far.