THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Ovechkin's march to 700 continues with two goals in Caps' win

Ovechkin's march to 700 continues with two goals in Caps' win

OTTAWA - Is it possible that Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, at 34 years old, in his 15th NHL season and already considered one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time, might be getting better?

A case could certainly be made, especially considering the rush he is putting on as he pushes toward career goal No. 700. He added two more Friday night in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Sentors, giving him 695 for his remarkable career and placing him eighth all-time.

Goal No. 694, midway through the second period, tied him with Mark Messier; goal No. 695, an empty-netter in the closing moments at Canadian Tire Center, gave him 37 on the season and was his 11th goal in his past five games, the hottest stretch of his career.

Behind their captain, and strong closeout defense down the stretch, the Capitals (35-12-5) left Ottawa with a gritty win, a needed response after Wednesday's sloppy loss at home to Nashville.

After the Capitals jumped up to a 4-2 lead early in the third period with a tally from Carl Hagelin, who scored his fourth goal and first shorthanded of the season, the Senators responded with a power-play goal from Artem Anisimov only 1:40 later.

The Capitals fought off a hard Senators push and were up an extra man for the final 3:42 of regulation after Colin White received a double minor for high-sticking. Ovechkin's empty netter came with 15 seconds left. 

Ilya Samsonov (25 saves) won his 11th straight contest, dating back to Nov. 30 against Detroit. The rookie netminder came in with a 1.60 goals against average, .941 save percentage and a shutout during that streak. 

The win improved Samsonov to 15-2-1 but he was far from flawless. While he had a stellar start (his breakaway save on Vladislav Namestnikov was one of the highlights of the opening 20), there were noticeable struggles down the stretch. 

With the Capitals holding a 3-1 lead midway through the second period following Ovechkin's first goal, Samsonov let in a nifty goal from Thomas Chabot only 1:04 later. The momentum shifted, but Hagelin took advantage of a turnover with the Senators buzzing on the power play, looking for an equalizer.

While the game was dicey late, the Capitals dominated early, taking a 2-0 lead with opening period goals from T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Oshie's 19th and first in seven games was a redirection in front, off a slick feed from John Carlson at 4:10. Carlson's assist was his 361th of his career, tying Calle Johansson for most by a defenseman in Capitals history. 

Kuznetsov scored a wacky goal seven minutes later that triggered a delayed reaction from the players on the ice. Off a feed from Jakub Vrana, Kuznetsov's shot hit goaltender Marcus Hogberg's leg and disappeared near side under the net skirt. Players initially didn't realize it went in. Then the center threw up his hands in celebration when he realized the puck had crossed the goal line for his 17th tally of the season. 

The Senators cut the Capitals' lead down to 2-1 with a shorthanded tally by Chris Tierney at 7:15 of the second period. The goal came while Ovechkin and the Capitals' second power play unit was on the ice. 

It was the fifth shorthanded goal the Capitals have allowed in the past eight games, a stretch that seen the team produce five power play goals. The Capitals have allowed nine shorthanded goals on the season, tied with Detroit for the most in the league.

The Capitals have a day to rest before Sunday's marquee matchup at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the first meeting between the two Metro Division rivals of the season. The team has yet to name a starter in net. 

 

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