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Washington (AFP)

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored the 600th goal of his career on Monday, becoming only the 20th player in NHL history to achieve the milestone.

The 32-year-old Russian ace reached the landmark in the second period of the Capitals' win over Winnipeg.

Ovechkin is the third-youngest player to score 600 goals, behind the NHL's all-time leading scorer Wayne Gretzy (894) and Mario Lemieux.

Ovechkin, a fixture in the NHL since 2005, is leading the scoring charts in the 2017-2018 championship with 42 goals.

The Moscow-born star has tallied more than 40 goals per season on no fewer than nine occasions since his debut, and has finished with 50 goals or more seven times.

Ovechkin is the most prolific active player in the NHL, leading Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby (404) by nearly 200 goals.

© 2018 AFP