WASHINGTON: Alex Ovechkin’s goal was no surprise. But when defensemen Nate Schmidt and Karl Alzner scored, it was an unexpected bonus for Washington.
Braden Holtby made 34 saves and Ovechkin scored the second of three goals by the Capitals in the first 17 minutes of a 5-2 victory over the Predators on Saturday night, extending Nashville’s losing streak to five games.
Troy Brouwer and Eric Fehr also scored for the Capitals. Ovechkin got his 22nd goal this season and ninth on the power play, both NHL highs. Nicklas Backstrom and Mikhail Grabovski each had two assists.
Schmidt, a 22-year-old rookie, got his first NHL goal. Alzner, a six-year veteran, got his first career goal in 148 home games.
“That’s what I’m here for. I’m a game-closer. The finisher, they could call me,” joked Alzner, who has six career goals and said he had been aware of his failure to score at home since his rookie season. In the dressing room, Schmidt had a wide smile as he posed for pictures with the puck.
“I’ve been used to previously having more points,” he said. “ Being a first-year defenseman, it’s going to come.”
Roman Josi scored the Predators’ first goal at the end of the first period and fed Eric Nystrom for their other one with 16:08 left.
The New Jersey Devils put up a more respectable number of shots, and the added offense produced just enough goals to beat the rival New York Rangers again.
Eric Gelinas scored on a power play 1:15 into overtime, after the Devils squandered the lead in the final seconds of regulation, to lift New Jersey to a 4-3 win yesterday. The Devils managed only 11 shots on Friday in a 3-1 home loss to Detroit. They fired 24 at Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, and got four past the man with the new seven-year, $59.5m contract.
“I’m fortunate to be out there in that type of situation, and I gave it a shot,” Gelinas said.
“It definitely feels good to be rewarded and to get that winner, but it was a team effort.”
Agencies
