After a play by, among others, Nicklas Bäckström in powerplay, Alexander Ovetjkin measured with the club and put a hard shot in the box at the end of the second period.

The 35-year-old Russian clenched his fist and cheered a little extra.

The goal, his 718th in the NHL, means that he has played together 1,300 points and that he passes Phil Esposito on the list of the league's best scorers.

Ovetchkin is now the sixth top scorer in NHL history.

In the match itself, his goal meant a 2-0 lead for Washington.

 - It's always wonderful to get it in.

"Nicky" (Nicklas Bäckström) and Justin Schultz did an excellent job of getting around the puck, and for me it was just putting it in the net.

Finally, says a happy Ovetchkin after the game, reports the NHL.

Bäckström then continued Washington's goal suite in powerplay, by placing just in front of goal poking the puck behind Islanders goalkeeper Semjon Varlamov before the third period was even 30 seconds old.

It was the Swede's twelfth goal of the season.

The Islanders reduced thanks to Oliver Wahlstrom, who put 3-1 in powerplay a few minutes later, but the New York team did not come any closer than that.

Their latest winning streak thus stays at nine games, while Washington has now won six games in a row.