Caps clip Leafs 5-2, Ovechkin scores in return

TORONTO – Alex Ovechkin scored an empty-net aim in his return to motion because the Washington Capitals upended the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday.

Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun, Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson additionally scored for the Capitals, whereas John Tavares and Bobby McMann replied for the Leafs.

Washington’s captain Ovechkin performed his first sport since he fractured his left fibula Nov. 18 in a sport the Utah Hockey Membership.

Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet Saturday till firing the puck into an empty web for his 869th profession aim, which strikes him inside 25 of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL mark of 894.

Tavares put Toronto on the board first when he deflected some extent shot from Simon Benoit previous Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson simply over three minutes into the primary interval.

However Mangiapane responded 92 seconds later with a shot off a two-on-one rush that hardly squeaked by Leafs goalie Matt Murray’s pads.

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Chychrun gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead heading into the second interval when McMann drew the hosts even by depositing a cross from Max Domi into the again of the online.

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The Capitals responded rapidly with Dowd’s go-head aim only one minute 43 seconds after McMann’s marker.

Wilson offered the insurance coverage marker on a third-period energy play, deflecting house a Chychrun shot from the purpose.

Thompson stopped 35 pictures for the win. Murray made 27 saves.

Takeaways

Maple Leafs: Toronto has misplaced three of 4 video games with out Auston Matthews within the lineup and, oddly, final season’s main scorer within the NHL seems to be missed on the defensive aspect of the sport. Toronto has allowed at the very least 5 objectives in every of these 4 video games, and 21 complete throughout that span.

Capitals: Ovechkin performed 14 minutes 58 seconds, recorded three hits and three pictures along with his aim. Washington continued to show it could actually thrive with out its captain or when he’s not at his greatest. The Capitals had a 10-5-1 document in 16 video games whereas Ovechkin was injured.

Key second

Thompson had a sizzling glove hand all through the sport. Washington’s goalie robbed Toronto ahead William Nylander of a certain aim when Thompson dove throughout the crease to grab a shot at a yawning cage out of mid-air.

Nylander was Thompson’s sufferer once more within the third interval when a deflected power-play shot from the purpose was scooped by Thompson, who was going through the again of the online. Later that interval, a short-handed try to tie the sport from Mitch Marner was foiled by Thompson’s glove. On the identical penalty, Chychrun scored his second and Washington’s fourth aim of the sport.

Key stat

Along with his first-period aim, Tavares prolonged his level streak to seven video games (six objectives, six assists) whereas Marner tacked an eighth sport onto his personal level streak (three objectives, 9 assists).

Up subsequent

Maple Leafs: Host the New York Islanders on Tuesday afternoon within the first sport of a home-and-home set.

Capitals: Go to the Detroit Crimson Wings on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Dec. 28, 2024.

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