Here’s everything to know from the Capitals 4-1 win over the Islanders.
The Washington Capitals did just about everything right on Saturday, and it led to their sixth win in eight games.
Alex Ovechkin got on the board, the bottom-6 stayed hot and Hunter Shepard and the defense stepped up for a 4-1 victory.
Here are the takeaways:
Ovechkin Busts Out
Ovechkin scored in the first right off the face-off. It marked his first goal since Oct. 25 and his second on a goaltender this season. Then with three seconds left in regulation, he scored his second of the night on the empty net to tie Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history.
The 38-year-old now has four goals and seven assists through 13 games this season and points in back-to-back games. He now only needs 69 more goals to pass Gretzky on the NHL’s all-time goals list, and he’s also four points away from 1,500.
Fourth Line Stays Hot, Protas Gets On Board
Nic Dowd got on the board for his first of the season and again, drove the identity on the fourth line as he continued to look sharp in his return from injury.
Beck Malenstyn and Nicolas Aube-Kubel also extended their point streaks to two games with assists.
Washington's new-found identity on the fourth line has worked wonders for the offense, and that trio has combined for six points in the last two games.
Meanwhile, Aliaksei Protas picked up his first goal of the season off a feed from Matthew Phillips. He now has three poitns in his last three games.
Shepard Stands Tall, Depleted Defense Impresses
The Capitals also had a huge game on the defensive side of things, with Shepard leading the charge.
Shepard had 36 saves on 37 shots for his second NHL win in his second-ever start. He was agile and quick in the crease, and he was reading the ice well.
Washington’s defense, which is now operating without Martin Fehervary after his injury Friday, was also solid. The team blocked 31 attempts, and the penalty kill also remained perfect and has killed off the last 18 penalties against over the last eight games.
John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin both logged over 26 minutes and got on the scoresheet, with Sandin now picking up points in three of his last four games.
Top Shelf Takes
- Evgeny Kuznetsov picked up an assist and has points in back-to-back games.
-Connor McMichael had a helper on Protas' goal and now has three points in his last three outings.
- Lucas Johansen logged a single-game career-high in ice time, skating 20:11 minutes.