WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael every scored twice, and the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 6-2, boosting their slim playoff possibilities and dealing their division rivals a tricky blow of their pursuit.
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Ovechkin’s objectives give him 838 in his NHL profession. He has 16 this season, with eight of them coming over the previous eight video games to reignite speak of him breaking Wayne Gretzky’s document.
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Charlie Lindgren additionally made 37 saves, and Dylan Strome and Michael Sgarbossa scored as Washington gained a second consecutive sport.
Washington’s offensive outburst got here at a nasty time for the Devils, who stay 4 factors again of the second and remaining wild-card spot within the Eastern Conference and path third-place Philadelphia by 5 factors. After dropping 11 of their previous 18 video games, they’ve 27 left within the common season to finish a return to the playoffs.
The Capitals stayed within the race for at the least one other day. They’re two factors again of New Jersey however have a brutal upcoming schedule, with 4 of their subsequent 5 opponents in playoff place, and will must play half or all of that stretch with out beneficial heart Nic Dowd, who left after the primary interval due to an upper-body damage.
They’ll take the win, although, after McMichael scored 39 seconds in, then set a brand new single-season profession excessive with 10 objectives in highlight-reel style. He dangled round Devils ahead Tomas Nosek contained in the blue line, previous rookie defenseman Simon Nemec and round goaltender Nico Daws earlier than tucking the puck simply inside the fitting publish.
Strome’s aim within the third interval was his twenty first of the season, off a rebound like McMichael’s first of the sport. He’s now two again of tying his profession finest, set final yr.
At the opposite finish of the ice, Lindgren was practically good. Alexander Holtz scored late within the first after a cross-crease go from Nemec made for a virtually unstoppable scoring probability, and Erik Haula broke via Washington’s protection and lifted a backhander previous Lindgren late in regulation.
Daws allowed six objectives on 25 pictures, hours after New Jersey put No. 1 goalie Vitek Vanecek on injured reserve.
New Jersey did get an necessary participant again, with Jonas Siegenthaler returning after lacking 16 video games with a damaged foot. Siegenthaler got here again in opposition to the workforce with which he made his NHL debut and performed 108 video games with earlier than being traded in 2021.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the division-leading New York Rangers on Thursday evening.
Capitals: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday evening to open a two-game highway journey.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
