Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael each netted two goals, propelling the Washington Capitals to a 6-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils, boosting their slim playoff hopes and dealing a significant blow to their division rivals.
Ovechkin’s goals bring his NHL career total to 838, with 16 goals this season, eight of which have come in the last eight games, sparking renewed discussions about him breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.
Charlie Lindgren made 37 saves, and Dylan Strome and Michael Sgarbossa scored as Washington secured their second consecutive win.
“We knew that we were chasing these guys in the standings, so it was a huge two points for our group,” McMichael said. “We’re happy to get the win.”
Washington’s offensive surge came at a challenging time for the Devils, who remain four points behind the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and trail third-place Philadelphia by five points. Having lost 11 of their past 18 games, they have 27 games left in the regular season to push for a playoff spot.
“The problem is we got frustrated,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “Tough loss. It’s a tough loss.”
The Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive for at least another day. They’re two points behind New Jersey but face a tough schedule ahead, with four of their next five opponents in playoff positions. They may also need to play without valuable center Nic Dowd, who left after the first period due to an upper-body injury.
“Dowder’s a huge defensive piece on this team, and they’re hard shoes to fill,” said McMichael, who took on some of Dowd’s responsibilities. “But I thought our group did a collective job to step in for him.”
McMichael scored just 39 seconds into the game and later set a new single-season career high with 10 goals, showcasing his skill by maneuvering around Devils forward Tomas Nosek, rookie defenseman Simon Nemec, and goaltender Nico Daws before tucking the puck inside the right post.
Strome’s goal in the third period, his 21st of the season, came off a rebound like McMichael’s first goal. He’s now just two goals shy of his career-best, set last year.
At the other end, Lindgren was nearly flawless. Alexander Holtz scored late in the first period after a cross-crease pass from Nemec, and Erik Haula managed to slip a backhander past Lindgren late in regulation.
“I think it’s another day in the office for Chucky,” McMichael said. “This year, he’s been unbelievable, and many points this year are a credit to him.”
Daws allowed six goals on 26 shots, just hours after New Jersey placed No. 1 goalie Vitek Vanecek on injured reserve. Daws shouldered some of the blame, but defensive breakdowns also played a significant role.
“We just got outbattled in front of the net,” said defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, who returned after missing 16 games with a broken foot and was in the penalty box when Ovechkin scored on the power play with 32.5 seconds left. “We’ve got to be harder in the front of the net and not give them second chances. I think we can do a better job there.”
UP NEXT
- Devils: Host the division-leading New York Rangers on Thursday night.
- Capitals: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night to start a two-game road trip.
