Ovechkin passes Howe with 802nd NHL goal, Capitals defeat Jets
WASHINGTON– Alex Ovechkin surpassed Gordie Howe for second in the NHL scoring list by scoring his 801st and 802nd in the Washington Capitals’ 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Capital One Arena on Friday.
Ovechkin gave Washington a 1-0 lead at 18:22 of the first period when he took a drop pass from him Dylan Strome and scored on a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that defeated the goalie David Rittich between the toppings.
He then passed Howe with an empty goal from the left boards, leaving 1:00 in the third period. It was his 22nd goal in 36 games of the season.
“Very emotional,” Ovechkin said. “My parents saw it from home. My wife is here, children here, friends. There’s something special about doing it with the home crowd. They give me full support, and that’s pretty big.
“It’s a historic moment. It’s nice to be in that category of players. It’s pretty cool.”
Video: [email protected]: Ovechkin scores 801st, 802nd career goals
Ovechkin was swarmed by his teammates on the ice after he moved to second on the all-time list behind Wayne Gretzky, who scored 894 points. A video tribute by Howe’s son, Mark Howe, was featured on the scoreboard.
“I don’t want to say this just once in a lifetime, but moments like this are rare in hockey and you pause the game to honor someone for such a special achievement,” said Capitals coach Peter Laviolette. “What he’s been able to achieve here in Washington is truly amazing.”
Ovechkin also had an assist, and Conor Sheary had two assists for Washington (19-13-4), who have won four straight games and nine of their last 10 games. Charlie Lindgren Made 25 saves.
Kevin Stenland scored for Winnipeg (21-12-1), who lost three of four. Rittich made 23 saves.
“Slow start,” said Jets coach Rick Bowness. “We took a few penalties in the second period, but when we started we looked good. “Kid in the Net made a lot of big saves for them at the right moment, so it’s difficult when you give up that first goal.
“But listen, there’s no stopping these guys. They found a way to dig deep in the third period.”
Video: [email protected]: Milano scores the 5th goal of the season in the 2nd period
Sonny Milano gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead at 12:48 of the second period, converting a Sheary pass at the right post just after a power play expired. Ovechkin had the secondary assist.
Nick Dowd At 3:49, the third made it 3-0, hitting a one-timer from the slot from a back pass Garnet Hathaway on the rush.
Stenlund cut the lead to 3-1 at 9:59 when he headed in the rebound Karson Kuhlmanis shot.
“It’s a 2-0 game in the third game; if we make it 2-1 from a couple of good chances, the game will probably look a little different, [but] they get a little space at 3-0,” defended Winnipeg Josh Morrissey said. “We fought back hard. Nice goal from ‘Stens’ and that line, but a bit too late.”
Lindgren made 15 saves in the third. He’s 8-1-0 with 1.89 goals against average and a .933 save percentage in his last nine games.
“I think we’re having a lot of fun,” said Lindgren. “Winning is what it’s all about and when you do that it makes everything that much better. We’re all playing really well I think and we’re certainly all bought into the fixture.”
The Jets lined up in center ice after the game to congratulate Ovechkin.
“It’s just a mark of respect to let him know that we appreciate everything he’s done for the league, everything he’s done for us as players and the milestone is an incredible achievement,” said the forward from Winnipeg Adam Lowry said.
Video: [email protected]: Jets shake hands with Ovechkin after goal 802
REMARKS: It was Ovechkin’s 409th NHL multipoint game in which he passed Paul Coffey for 12th all-time. Gretzky leads by 824. …Each team played the second in a row; The Capitals won 3-2 in overtime at the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and the Jets lost 3-2 at the Boston Bruins. … Defender of Washington John Carlson left the game after being shot in the right side of the head by a teammate Brenden Dillon 55 seconds into the third. Laviolette said Carlson, who was bleeding when he left the ice, was taken to the hospital for precautionary observation. … capital letters forward Markus Johanson left at 11:21 a.m. of the third after clumsily crashing into the boards. … Morrissey’s 11-game assist streak ended. … Rittich became the 166th goalkeeper that Ovechkin scored against. It was his first game against the Capitals. … Winnipeg hasn’t won since a 4-2 win in Washington on January 22, 2013. Since then it has been 0-6-4. …jets forward Cole Perfettiwho suffered an undisclosed injury on Thursday did not play and will be evaluated upon his return to Winnipeg.
