Ovechkin Hits 1,000 Goals as NHL Action Heats Up
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By Noan Gagnon
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Summary:
- The Washington Capitals tied late but lost 3-2 in OT to the Colorado Avalanche.
- Brock Nelson was the one who scored the OT winner.
- Elsewhere, Jets, Predators, Flames, Ducks, and Mammoth all win in extra time with key late goals.
Alex Ovechkin added another milestone to his legendary career, scoring his 1,000th NHL goal when combining the regular season and playoffs.
The goal, his 26th of the season, came on the power play and tied the score with just over five minutes left in regulation.
Despite the achievement, the Washington Capitals fell 3-2 in overtime to the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
Brock Nelson scored 82 seconds into 3-on-3 overtime off a pass from Martin Necas, giving the Avalanche the win. Gabriel Landeskog and Nicolas Roy scored earlier for Colorado, who clinched a playoff spot this past Friday.
Close Finishes in the League
Elsewhere in the league, Sunday was packed with close finishes and standout performances. The Winnipeg Jets edged the New York Rangers 3-2 in a shootout.
Gabriel Vilardi tied his career high with 27 goals and scored the shootout winner, while Adam Lowry ended a long scoring drought with a key goal. Rookie goaltender Dylan Garand faced 37 shots in his NHL debut, keeping the Rangers competitive before the Jets pulled ahead.
Carolina dominated Pittsburgh 5-1, led by Seth Jarvis, who scored and assisted on two power-play goals. Sebastian Aho and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored on the man advantage.
Aho reached a personal milestone with his eighth 25-goal season, a first in Hurricanes or Hartford Whalers history. Frederik Andersen earned his fifth consecutive win in net for Carolina.
The Nashville Predators defeated Chicago 3-2 in overtime, with Filip Forsberg scoring the game-winner and assisting on a late goal to tie the game in the third period. Forsberg notched his 32nd goal of the season, and the Predators extended their longest winning streak of the season to four games.
Other noteworthy results included the Islanders’ victory 1-0 against the Blue Jackets, led by Bo Horvat’s early goal and Ilya Sorokin’s seventh shutout of the season, and the Golden Knights narrow 3-2 defeat against the Stars, courtesy of Reilly Smith’s decisive goal late in the third.
The Calgary Flames also defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime, Troy Terry gave the Ducks a 6-5 OT win over Buffalo, and the Utah Mammoth edged the Kings 4-3 in extra time thanks to Nick Schmaltz.
Overall, it was a night packed with interesting milestones, overtime thrillers, and key playoff implications, showing that the race to the postseason is as intense as ever in the NHL.
