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Alexander Ovechkin posted two goals and two assists to lead the Washington Capitals to a 5-1 win over the visiting New York Rangers on Wednesday at Capital One Arena.
Ovechkin, who entered this season sixth in NHL history with 730 regular-season goals, is now all alone in fifth after passing ex-center Marcel Dionne.
The 36-year-old was a game-time decision because of a lower-body injury beforehand, but he took the ice and dominated en route to an emphatic victory.
Both of his goals came in the third period to cap Washington’s scoring. His assists led to power-play goals from T.J. Oshie and Justin Schultz to start Washington’s five-goal onslaught.
In the middle, Hendrix Lapierre netted a goal of his own for a 3-0 second-period lead.
Washington goalie Vitek Vanecek earned the win after amassing 23 saves. New York’s lone goal was courtesy of Chris Kreider on the power play in the third to cut Washington’s edge to 4-1.
The game served as the 2021-22 season opener for both teams.
Notable Performances
Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin: 2 G, 2 A
Capitals RW T.J. Oshie: 1 G, 1 A
Capitals C Evgeny Kuznetsov: 3 A
What’s Next?
The Caps will stay in town to welcome the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Rangers will host the Dallas Stars for their home opener Thursday at 7 p.m. ET in Madison Square Garden.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
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