Alex Ovechkin scores twice in Capitals’ 8-3 win over Sharks
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the third period to give him 815 career goals and the Washington Capitals shook off a rough start to beat the San Jose Sharks 8-3 on Saturday.
Washington erased a 2-0 deficit by scoring four goals in the final 12 minutes of the second period to win their fifth straight in San Jose.
Craig Smith scored twice, and Nicolas AubeKubel and Matt Irwin also scored in the big second period for Washington.
T. J. Oshie and Dylan Strome scored in the third period around Ovechkin’s two tallies that moved him within 79 goals of tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.
Darcy Kuemper made 38 saves.
Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov scored in the first period as the Sharks took a 2-0 lead for the second straight game only to allow four goals in the second period. Nico Sturm also scored.
This marked the first time in franchise history that San Jose lost consecutive games after leading by multiple goals at the end of the first period.
The frustration of a 1-51 homestand led to coach David Quinn getting a game misconduct in the third period before Oshie scored a power-play goal.
Kaapo Kahkonen made 22 saves.
The Capitals came out flat and trailed 2-0 and were getting outshot 27-7 before flipping the script midway through the second period.
The first two goals came off the rush with Smith beating Kahkonen with a wrist shot to make it 2-1 and then Aube- Kubel sliding one between Kahkonen’s pads less than three minutes later.
Irwin then ended a 47game goal drought when his blast from the point beat Kahkonen.
Smith added his second of the game with 58 seconds remaining in the period.
The Sharks dominated the first period, outshooting Washington 20-5 and taking a 2- 0 lead with Hertl scoring when he knocked in his own rebound at the end of a power play and Barabanov adding another off a pass from Logan Couture.
But San Jose missed chances to add onto that lead on a four- minute power play that bridged the first intermission and another power play early in the second.
SOLO REF
Referee Chris Schlenker got hurt in the second period and didn’t return. The game finished with Gord Dwyer as the only referee and the two linesmen.
PRIME PROSPECTS
Both teams called up heralded picks for the 2021 draft to play in the NHL for the first time this season.
San Jose first- round forward William Eklund is back with the Sharks after playing nine games in the NHL last season before returning to Sweden.
Eklund played on the top power-play unit and had an assist on Hertl’s goal in the first period.