Great 8: Ovechkin Scores Historic PP Goal, Caps Sweep Devils
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin moved into a second-place tie on the all-time list for NHL power-play goals and the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 5-4 on Sunday, completing a sweep of their eight-game season series.
Ovechkin's second-period goal was his 265th with the extra man, tying him with Brett Hull for second place and leaving him nine behind all-time league leader Dave Andreychuk (274).
The 35-year-old Russian, who also picked up two assists, has 19 goals this season and 725 in his career. He is six goals shy of tying Marcel Dionne for fifth place all time in the NHL.
Ilya Samsonov was a big reason the Capitals finished off the sweep, making 35 saves, including 29 in the opening 40 minutes.
T.J. Oshie, Conor Sheary, Carl Hagelin and Evgeny Kuznetsov also scored for Washington. The eight-game sweep was the first in team history against a single opponent.
Travis Zajac scored twice and Yegor Sharangovich and Jesper Bratt once for New Jersey, which trailed 3-2 after two periods despite outshooting the Caps 31-12. Mackenzie Blackwood faced 19 shots.
After Zajac and Oshie scored in the first period, Sheary gave the Caps the lead at 3:21 of the second period with a shot that deflected off the jersey of Devils defenseman Damon Severson and fluttered into the net.
Ovechkin stretched the lead to two goals, slam-dunking the rebound of Nicklas Backstrom's shot that slipped through Blackwood's pads. The power play was set up when Dmitry Kulikov high-sticked Ovechkin in the face.
Sharangovich got New Jersey within 3-2 late in the second period but Hagelin and Kuznetsov scored early in the third to stretch the margin to 5-2. Bratt and Zajac got the Devils within a goal with 4:07 to play. They never got closer.
POSSBILE DEAL?
Kyle Palmieri may have played his last game with the New Jersey Devils.
The team said the right wing, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, was held out of Sunday's game for precautionary reasons. Stephen Bartlett, his agent, said the move was made in anticipation of a trade in the coming days or week(s). The trade deadline is April 12.
Palmieri has scored at least 24 goals in each of his first five seasons with the Devils.
The 30-year-old got off to a slow start this year and has eight in 34 games. His 140 goals since 2015-16 are the sixth most for a right wing.
SWEEP
The Caps eight wins against New Jersey marked the 13th time since the expansion era (1967-68) a team has beaten an opponent eight times in a season. It was the first time since 2007-08 when the Canadiens won eight against the Bruins.
NOTES: Zajac has 202 goals with New Jersey, tying him with Bobby Holik for third place in franchise history. Patrik Elias (408) and John MacLean (347) are the top two.
Devils are 4-12-3 at home. Washington is 12-5-2 on the road. ... Oshie has four goals in his past five games. ... Devils D Ryan Murray tied a career high with three assists.
UP NEXT
Capitals: at Islanders on Tuesday. It's the finale in a string of 11 straight games against the three New York City metropolitan area teams — the Devils, Rangers and Islanders.
Devils: Stay home and face Sabres on Tuesday night.
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