Ovechkin nets 2, passes Gordie Howe for 2nd in career goals

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This article was published 22/12/2022 (733 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored his 801st and 802nd goals to pass Gordie Howe for second on the NHL career list, and the Washington Capitals beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 Friday night to extend their winning streak to four.

Ovechkin scored into an empty net with a minute left in the third period to set off a wild celebration by teammates and a standing ovation from the crowd. Washington’s longtime captain scored in the first period to match Howe’s mark. He’s now 92 back of tying Wayne Gretzky’s record.

The victory also included goals by Sonny Milano and Nic Dowd and 25 saves from Charlie Lindgren as the Capitals won for the ninth time in 10 games.

Ovechkin had an assist on Milano’s fifth goal of the season. It’s his 409th career multipoint game, passing Paul Coffey for 12th-most in NHL history.

Winnipeg’s David Rittich became the 166th goaltender Ovechkin has scored on, and he finished with 23 saves. Kevin Stenlund scored midway through the third period, and the Jets lost their second in a row.

BLACKHAWKS 5, BLUE JACKETS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each had a goal and two assists and Chicago ended an eight-game skid with a win over Columbus.

Alex Stalock made 27 saves in his return from a concussion to help last-place Chicago snap an 11-game home losing streak (0-10-1) and earn just its second win in 18 games overall (2-15-1). Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou and Taylor Raddysh also scored as the Blackhawks won at the United Center for the first time since Nov. 3.

Marcus Bjork had a goal and and assist and Kirill Marchenko scored on a power play as the Blue Jackets lost their sixth straight. Columbus has scored only nine times during its slide.

Blue Jackets rookie Daniil Tarasov allowed four goals on Chicago’s first 20 shots before being replaced by Joonas Korpisalo. Tarasov made his fifth straight start as slumping No. 1 goalie Elvis Merzlikins sat out with an undisclosed illness.

HURRICANES 6, FLYERS 5

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jesper Fast scored twice in the first period and Carolina Hurricanes set a franchise record with a 14-game points streak.

Stefan Noesen, Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Martinook and Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored as the Hurricanes won their eighth straight. Jordan Staal had three assists and Martinook, Martin Necas and Brett Pesce each had two. Antti Raanta made 27 saves.

Travis Sanheim, Tony DeAngelo, Nick Seeler, Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers, who tried to rally with three goals in the third period, but lost for the third time in four games.

The loss spoiled the NHL debut of Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson, who was pulled midway through second period and returned with about two minutes left in the frame after Carter Hart exited due to injury. He finished with 25 saves. Hart had six.

BRUINS 4, DEVILS 3

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — David Pastrnak scored two of Boston’s four second-period goals, and linemates David Krejci and Pavel Zacha each had two assists in a win over New Jersey.

Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Bruins, and Linus Ullmark made 36 saves in his NHL-best 19th win. Boston has won four in a row.

Jack Hughes, Tomas Tatar and Yegor Sharangovich scored for New Jersey. Mackenzie Blackwood made 14 saves before getting pulled after two periods. The Devils lost for the seventh time in eight games (1-6-1) and dropped to 3-6-2 in December.

ISLANDERS 5, PANTHERS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Aatu Raty scored in his NHL debut, Anthony Beauvillier added two goals and Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves, leading New York past Florida.

Ryan Pulock and Zach Parise also scored for the Islanders.

Matthew Tkachuk scored his 15th goal of the season for Florida, which had won its two earlier meetings against the Islanders this season. Sergei Bobrovsky made 38 saves.

Raty, a 20-year-old Finnish rookie recalled from AHL Bridgeport earlier in the day, beat Bobrovsky at 7:10 of the third.

AVALANCHE 3, PREDATORS 2, OT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Samuel Girard scored at 4:17 of overtime to give Colorado a victory over Nashville.

Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist and J.T. Compher also scored for Colorado, winners of four straight. Alexandar Georgiev made 37 saves.

Juuse Saros made a season-high 43 saves for Nashville, and Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene scored. The Predators had won two in a row.

STARS 4, CANADIENS 2

DALLAS (AP) — Wyatt Johnston scored Dallas’ third power-play goal with five minutes remaining in a come-from-behind win over Montreal.

Roope Hintz scored twice on primary assists from Jason Robertson, and Joel Kiviranta added an empty-netter with 17 seconds left. Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for the Stars, who are 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Johnston put his own rebound past Jake Allen, giving the rookie a three-game goal streak. At 19 years and 223 days old, he’s the youngest Dallas player to score in three consecutive games.

Fourth-line forwards Jake Evans and Michael Pezzetta scored for the Canadiens, who have lost five of six (1-4-1). Allen stopped 32 shots.

CANUCKS 5, OILERS 2

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Bo Horvat had two goals and two assists and J.T. Miller scored twice, leading Vancouver past Edmonton.

Ilya Mikheyev also scored for the Canucks, who have won two in a row. Horvat has 24 goals this season.

Derek Ryan had a goal and Connor McDavid extended his points streak to 15 games by scoring his league-leading 30th of the season for the Oilers, who have lost four of their last five.

Collin Delia made 31 saves for the Canucks. Stuart Skinner finished with 25 saves for Edmonton.

COYOTES 2, KINGS 1, SO

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Karel Vejmelka had 26 saves and stopped all three shots in a shootout as Arizona stopped Los Angeles’ four-game win streak.

Arizona’s Nick Schmaltz scored on a power play in the first period. Alex Iafallo evened it on the man advantage in the second, leaving the Coyotes tied heading into the third period for the fifth straight game.

Nick Bjugstad scored on Arizona’s second shot in the shootout after Vejmelk stopped Gabriel Vilardi. Arizona’s Clayton Keller had a chance to win it, but sent his shot over the goal.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5, BLUES 4, SO

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone scored the winner in a shootout to cap a strong game for Vegas’ top line in a victory over St. Louis.

Stone and fellow top-liner Chandler Stephenson scored in the shootout. Vladimir Tarasenko put one in the net for the Blues.

Stephenson finished with a goal and three assists. Michael Amadio had a goal and two assists. Stone and Alex Pietrangelo each had a goal and an assist.

Tarasenko had a goal and two assists for the Blue. Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and assist and Justin Faulk also scored. Torey Krug had two assists.

FLAMES 3, DUCKS 2, OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rasmus Andersson scored 2:24 into overtime, giving Calgary a win over Anaheim.

Andersson beat Lukas Dostal with a wrist shot from the right circle to extend Calgary’s point streak to four games, with three wins in that stretch.

Michael Stone and Brett Ritchie also scored, and Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves as the Flames wrapped up a successful four-game California road trip.

Mason McTavish and Jakob Silfverberg had power-play goals — the sixth time this season Anaheim had mutlple goals with the man advantage. Dostal made 42 saves for the Ducks, who have lost the first two games of their franchise-record 10-game homestand.

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