Ovechkin Scores Career Goal No. 830 as Capitals Hold Off the Penguins
In his quest toward the most goals scored in NHL history, Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin notched his eighth goal on the season and career goal No. 830 in the Capitals' 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday evening, inching one goal closer to Wayne Gretsky’s 894 career goal league record. The victory for Washington ends a four-game losing skid as they improve to (18-11-6) on the season and remain in fifth place of the Metropolitan Division and hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. For Pittsburgh, the loss snaps a six-game point streak as they fall to (18-14-4) on the season and sit on the outside of the playoff picture starting off the New Year.
The Capitals would jump out to a quick 1-0 lead 55 seconds into the first period as right winger Tom Wilson would put Washington on the board on a shot underneath the crossbar. The Capitals would increase their lead to 2-0 midway through the opening period following left winger Beck Malenstyn shooting the puck off a Pittsburgh defender and past Penguins’ goalie Tristan Jarry. Only a few minutes following Malenstyn’s goal, defenseman Martin Fehervary would extend Washington’s lead to 3-0 on a wrist shot over the top of Jarry, which resulted in Jarry being pulled from the net for the evening.
Washington would finish off their dominant first period with Ovechkin joining in on the scoring affair at 19:18 with a power play wrist shot that went through traffic to extend their lead to 4-0 with 42 seconds left in the opening frame. The Penguins would get on the board four seconds before intermission following a one-timer by right winger Rickard Rakell to cut their deficit to 4-1 heading into the break. The Penguins would aim to make the game interesting in the second period, scoring two goals, with the first coming off a Sidney Crosby power-play goal at 9:11 in the period to cut their deficit to 4-2, in which Crosby redirected a shot by left winger Jake Guentzel and swiped the puck out of midair into the goal net.
With 1:06 remaining in the second, Guentzel would cut Washington’s lead to 4-3 on a pass from Crosby at the left post that was able to get past Capitals’ goalie Darcy Kuemper. The third period would see no scoring action as the Capitals would withstand Pittsburgh’s comeback attempt to hold on to beat the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. In the victory, Kuemper was kept busy in the net for the Capitals, as he saved 33 shots on 35 attempts and sealed his ninth victory in goal for Washington. In the win, Washington would be outshot (35-22), outhit (29-17), and lose the faceoff battle (32-26). Despite the loss, Crosby’s 21st goal on the season would move him past former center Joe Thorton for 12th in NHL history of career points with 1,540 (571 goals and 969 assists). Following the win, the Capitals will travel back home to begin a five-game homestand that begins on Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. Meanwhile, the Penguins will aim to rebound from the loss as they make a quick one-game road trip to face the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
