Nov. 6 (UPI) — Alex Ovechkin blindly flicked the puck backwards and into the net to become the first player in NHL history to score 900 goals in a Washington Capitals victory.

The sensational score from the 21-year NHL veteran came 2:39 into the second period of the 6-1 triumph over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

“A couple days ago, somebody asked me, ‘do you think about it?’ Of course,” Ovechkin told reporters. “It’s a huge number. No one ever did it in NHL history.

“To be the first player to ever do it is a special moment. It’s nice that it’s over.”

Ovechkin, who passed Wayne Gretzky on April 6 to become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, netted just two goals through his first 12 games this season.

“You can’t even wrap your head around that, just saying that,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said of Ovechkin. “900 goals in the NHL. It’s hard enough to score one, but 900 in this league is truly amazing.”

Fellow Capitals forwards Anthony Beauvillier and Tom Wilson scored two goals apiece in the victory. Defenseman John Carlson logged a goal and an assist.

Carlson and fellow defenseman Jakob Chychrun assisted Wilson for first blood midway through the first period. Ovechkin then added to the lead early in the bridge frame.

Beauvillier started the play with a steal along the right boards. He then fired the puck up the ice. Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington collected the puck behind the net, but had his clearance deflected by Ovechkin. The veteran forward sent the puck into the slot, where it found Chychrun, who fired a shot wide of the net and off the back boards. Ovechkin collected the rebound and skated toward the right boards.

He spotted Binnington far from the goal, with just one foot in the crease. Ovechkin capitalized on the lapse by bouncing his blind backhander into the area, just out of reach of the Blues goaltender, for his historic score.

Chychrun assisted Beauvillier for a 3-0 lead about two minutes later. Carlson found the net for his third score of the season about five minutes later.

Beauvillier netted his second goal with 3:40 remaining in the second period.

Forward Alexey Toropchenko scored the Blues’ lone goal 37 seconds into the third period. Wilson scored the final goal of the night with 11 minutes remaining.

With his goal, Ovechkin now has three goals and five assists though 13 games this season for the Capitals, who snapped a four-game losing streak Wednesday in Washington. The Capitals (7-5-1) sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division.

They will take on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (8-4-2) at 7:30 p.m. EST Thursday in Pittsburgh.