The Capitals captain lost his temper after a missed call toward the end of a 5-2 loss to the Rangers on Sunday.
WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin was already getting fed up with the result and way of the Washington Capitals' Sunday matinee was playing out against the New York Rangers. And on his final shift, high hit from Barclay Goodrow that went uncalled was the last straw as he hit his breaking point.
Ovechkin was furious as skated back, relentlessly whacking Goodrow with his stick until the referees blew the play dead and called Ovechkin for cross-checking. The 37-year-old saw frustration boil over and lost his temper, leading to an ejection as he sarcastically applauded the officials before leaving the ice.
Behind him, Tom Wilson tussled with Goodrow to stick up for Ovechkin, while Martin Fehervary and Niko Mikkola dropped the gloves in a semi-line brawl.
Ovechkin didn't speak after the eventual 5-2 loss, but head coach Peter Laviolette spoke on the matter, adding that Ovechkin was frustrated that a high hit to the face went uncalled shortly after the Rangers had scored on a late power-play after an interference call on Conor Sheary.
"He's frustrated that there was something missed down at the other end, he was frustrated coming back in. Our guys played hard and with emotion... we had numbers back, and I think it all winded in," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "A missed call, you [almost] kill the Sheary penalty and then there's a missed call and the frustration grows a little bit."
The high tensions were synonymous with the team's frustration in the dressing room. Washington is on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2014.
With the Capitals having trouble coming to terms with that harsh reality, Ovechkin is also trying to lead the way. That effort to provide a spark and fight back, while expressing his disappointment, was also what led to him getting a 10-minute misconduct.
"We look at the scoreboard, so to me, those situations add up a little bit and you get frustrated," Laviolette said. "It was probably to be expected."