Ovechkin surpasses Messier as Capitals beat Senators
Alex Ovechkin scored twice to reach 695 goals for his career and move into eighth on the NHL's all-time list, as the visiting Washington Capitals beat the Ottawa Senators for an eighth consecutive time, 5-3, on Friday night.
Ovechkin drew even with Mark Messier for eighth place via a three-on-one with 9:33 left in the second period to give the NHL-leading Capitals a 3-1 lead. He took sole possession of the eighth spot with his 37th of the season and 11th goal in five games with a late empty-netter.
T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Carl Hagelin also scored as Ilya Samsonov made 25 saves to win his 10th straight start -- and 11th consecutive decision -- for Washington, which is 8-3-0 in 2020.
The Capitals have outscored Ottawa 38-16 during that eight-winning streak amid a 15-1-1 stretch in this series.
Chris Tierney, Thomas Chabot and Artem Anisimov scored for the Senators, who entered on a 2-0-1 stretch. Marcus Hogberg stopped 32 shots.
It was 4:10 into the game that Washington opened the scoring. A slap-pass by star defenseman John Carlson was deflected in by Oshie for his 19th. Kuznetsov put the Capitals up 2-0 with 8:38 left in the opening period by working the puck barely past Hogberg for his first goal in 10 games.
Washington outshot the Senators 16-5 in the first. However, Ottawa made 2-1 at 7:15 into the second while short-handed. Tierney took advantage of a Capitals turnover, and slapped in a cross-crease pass from Dylan DeMelo for the Senators' league-leading 12th short-handed goal.
The Capitals looked to be in control when Ovechkin scored in the second. However, 1:04 later, Chabot blasted a shot from the middle of the zone and by a seemingly stunned Samsonov to make it 3-2.
Washington, went up 4-2 with a short-handed goal of its own 3:07 into the third. Off a Lars Eller interception, Hagelin beat Hogberg on a mini breakaway. Ottawa, though, again got within one as Anisimov scored on the power play less than two minutes later to trail 4-3.
Ovechkin iced the game with his 31st career goal in 48 games versus Ottawa.
--Field Level Media
