Caps’ Ovechkin reaches 700-goal milestone in Devils loss
NEW JERSEY: Alex Ovechkin became the eighth NHL player to reach 700 goals, but the milestone was not enough as Damon Severson scored with 1:59 minutes remaining to give the New Jersey Devils a 3-2 victory over the visiting Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon.
Ovechkin made history 4:50 minutes into the third period when he ripped a shot past New Jersey goalie Mackenzie Blackwood from the right circle. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nick Jensen were given assists on the play, and that tied the game 2-all.
The Washington bench poured on to the ice and hugged Ovechkin, who received an ovation from the New Jersey crowd.
The Devils got the last laugh as Severson fired a high shot past goalie Ilya Samsonov just after Washington finished killing off two penalties. It was the first road loss this season for Samsonov, who had won his first 10 away from home.
Warren Foegele scored two goals, emergency goaltender David Ayres — a Zamboni driver — made nine saves and visiting Carolina defeated Toronto 6-3.
Ayres took over at 11:19 minutes of the second period after Carolina’s second goaltender of the game was injured when Toronto’s Kyle Clifford ran into him. Starting goalie James Reimer was injured in the first period.
Lucas Wallmark, Nino Niederreiter, Teuvo Teravainen and Martin Necas also scored for Carolina. Alex Kerfoot, John Tavares and Pierre Engvall scored for Toronto. Tyson Barrie and Kasperi Kapanen each added two assists.
Tyler Toffoli scored his first two goals since being acquired in a trade with Los Angeles earlier in the week, and he added an assist as hosts Vancouver put an end to league-leading Boston’s fivegame winning streak with a 9-3 rout.
Defenceman Troy Stecher had a goal and two assists and JT Miller had three helpers for the Canucks, who snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 3-4-2 in their past nine games.
Boston’s David Pastrnak scored twice, breaking a tie with Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the NHL lead in goals. Pastrnak’s third-period goal was his 45th of the season.