Ovechkin's Stellar Performance Leads the Capitals to Victory Over Golden Knights
Alex Ovechkin scored two goals, equaling an NHL record, before exiting due to a leg injury, helping the Washington Capitals secure a 6-2 win against the Utah Hockey Club on Monday night.
Ovechkin’s goal on Connor Ingram marked the 178th goaltender he has scored on in his two-decade NHL career, matching a record set by Jaromir Jagr. He departed the ice during the third period at 5:30 due to an apparent injury to his left leg..
Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar found the back of the net for the Golden Knights, while Ilya Samsonov made 20 saves. Ovechkin currently has 866 goals, just 29 shy of overtaking The Great One as the all-time NHL leader.
He scored his 31st hat trick in his career and his 176th multiple-goal game, second only to Gretzky’s 189. Ovechkin also increased his record to 315 power-play goals. Both goals were also his first against former Capitals goalie Samsonov.
“It was a pretty cool atmosphere like always, We played hard. Right from the start everybody did their job blocking shots.” : Ovechkin said.
During the first period, the Golden Knights showed a video tribute to Thompson, who was on the team from 2021 to 2024. He seemed moved as the audience cheered, continuously touching his chest.
Vegas’ defeat kept coach Bruce Cassidy just one win away from reaching 400 victories.
At 5:59 of the first period, Ovechkin scored a power-play goal for Washington, giving them a 1-0 lead with a shot from the left circle that deflected off Alex Pietrangelo’s stick.
Chychrun made it 2-0 at 12:26 by lifting a shot over Samsonov from the high slot. At 17:38, Ovechkin scored his second goal of the game on a 2-on-1 rush, extending the lead to 4-2. He completed the hat trick by scoring an empty-net goal at 19:23, making the final score 5-2
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