Hockey
Ovechkin finally broke through! But even with the Russian’s goals, Washington is terrible
The Capitals lost to Dallas despite Alexander’s goal.
Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin scored in the second match in a row! First, Anaheim suffered from him, against which he scored a double, and now Dallas. At the same time, in the game against the Stars, he distinguished himself at the most crucial moment, but this still did not help the Capitals.
But Ovechkin seems to have gone crazy after a goalless streak.
Tournament standings
Over the last 10 matches, Washington has won only three victories. Due to unstable results, the Capitals risk leaving the playoff zone soon, but so far the team has managed to stay in the top eight of the East. True, it will be even more difficult for the capital club due to the loss of key players. Forwards Tom Wilson and Alexey Protas were injured, which greatly affects the attacking potential of Spencer Carbery’s team.
Washington simply doesn’t have the offensive depth to replace Wilson and Protas. Yes, without them, the Capitals beat Anaheim big time in the last match, which concedes more than anyone else in the league, as if they didn’t even notice the loss. But Alexander Ovechkin also played a big role there, scoring a double. However, next they had to meet with the second team of the West – Dallas.
And although the Stars did not approach the away game in the best shape, having lost six matches in a row, they continue to be a serious rival for any team. In addition, Glen Galuzan’s players were probably tired of collecting defeats, so before the away match there was no doubt about their motivation.
Ovechkin’s goal
Washington had the opportunity to score already in the third minute, when they scored a power play: visiting defender Ilya Lyubushkin went to the penalty box. However, the hosts not only failed to convert, but also conceded. In the minority, Radek Faksa rolled into the opponent’s zone and, out of desperation, fired at the goal, not finding options to continue the attack. However, Logan Thompson unsuccessfully hit the puck in front of him, which the opponent immediately took advantage of: Faksa accelerated, broke through two defenders and played on the finish – 1:0.
The Capitals were clearly expecting a completely different start. However, the hosts could not correct the situation, and at the beginning of the second period they conceded the goal again. This time, in equal strength, Thomas Harley showed individual skill and, under pressure in the attacking zone, saved the puck, then shot strongly along the goal, and Sam Steele put his stick and completed the pass – 2:0.
In the middle of the game, Brandon Duhaime and Lyubushkin decided to sort things out with their bare fists. True, this did not give the Washington players any additional emotions, and the teams went into the break with the score 2:0 in favor of Dallas.
While everyone was resting and waiting for the start of the final segment of the game, Ovechkin watched from the bench the children’s game on the ice of the Capital One Arena, in which his eldest son, Sergei, took part. The captain of the capital’s club supported the little hockey player with the figure eight on his back, giving him a thumbs up.
Soon Alexander also entered the court, but he still could not help Washington. And in the 54th minute, the Stars made a serious bid for victory: behind the opponent’s goal, Steele won the fight for the puck and immediately passed it on, and Wyatt Johnston shot into the open corner almost point-blank – 3:0.
But the Capitals still didn’t give up. Two minutes before the end of regulation time, the hosts’ coaching staff even replaced Logan Thompson with a sixth field player. And the capital club’s risk paid off. First, after winning the throw-in, Connor McMichael rolled into a killer position, but was unable to upset Casey Desmith. But a few seconds later, John Carlson threw a cross pass to Ovechkin, and he hit the puck with all his heart, shooting into the near corner of the goal. This is the Russian’s 18th goal of the season and the 915th of his career.
Alexander is trying his best to help the troubled Washington. Just recently he went on a four-match streak without scoring, and now he’s scoring in the second game in a row! However, the second time the assault failed: Roope Hintz hit the empty net and put an end to the match – 4:1. The Capitals suffer another defeat and risk leaving the playoff zone.
Source: Sportbox
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.