The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets on Saturday did not disappoint in a thrilling midseason matchup in front of a fired-up sellout crowd of more than 18,500 fans.
The top two teams in the NHL delivered with a combined nine goals, including the 877th of Alex Ovechkin’s career to put him 18 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. That tied the score, the Jets pulled it out in overtime and just about everyone involved got their money’s worth out of the 5-4 game.
“We knew how we were both sitting in the standings and both having real good years,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said after his team won its sixth game in a row. “You know you’re going against some elite players on the opposite side, and we’ve been watching what they’ve been doing. You’re following them in the standings, watching them on the highlights and when you have a game like that, exciting for the fans, not so much for the coaches.”
Photo: AP
Goalies Connor Hellebuyck and Logan Thompson had some big saves throughout at either end of the ice. Each had 25 saves, or the game could have been a double-digit vintage throwback to hockey from the 1980s.
“The caliber of hockey tonight was high, and they were all over us,” said Capitals winger Tom Wilson, who scored his 21st goal of the season.
Washington erased a two-goal third-period deficit when Ovechkin scored with 7 minutes, 39 seconds left in regulation and set off “Ovi” chants. The moment might have been the loudest Capital One Arena has been all season.
“Two best teams playing, and it was a battle,” Ovechkin said. “It was a hard game at both ends.”
Elsewhere, the New York Islanders pipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime, the Toronto Maple Leafs survived the Edmonton Oilers 4-3, the Ottawa Senators devastated the Minnesota Wild 6-0 and the Boston Bruins outplayed the New York Rangers 6-3.
The Pittsburgh Penguins blanked the Nashville Predators 3-0, the Florida Panthers dominated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1, the Los Angeles Kings topped the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 and the Detroit Red Wings doused the Calgary Flames 3-1.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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