Alex Ovechkin scored three goals on Sunday night, keeping his chase for Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record alive as the Washington Capitals beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. Former Golden Knights goalie Logan Thompson had a solid return to T-Mobile Arena, saving 40 shots in his first game back.
In addition to Ovechkin’s hat trick, Jakob Chychrun and Jakub Vrana also found the net for the Capitals, while Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas each recorded two assists. For the Golden Knights, Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar scored, and goalie Ilya Samsonov stopped 20 shots.
Ovechkin now has 866 career goals, just 29 away from surpassing Gretzky. This was his 31st career hat trick, and his 176th game with multiple goals, second only to Gretzky’s 189. He also added to his record with his 315th career power-play goal. Interestingly, both of his goals came against his former teammate, Samsonov.
The Golden Knights showed appreciation for Thompson, who played with them from 2021-24, by playing a video tribute in the first period. Thompson, visibly moved, tapped his heart as the crowd cheered.
Vegas’ loss also meant coach Bruce Cassidy is still one win away from his 400th career victory.
Takeaways:
- Thompson is now 2-0 against his former team this season, saving 64 of 68 shots.
- Jack Eichel extended his point streak to six games, with two goals and 10 assists during that stretch.
Key moment:
Ovechkin made a key defensive play in the second period, stopping an open-net shot by Ivan Barbashev with his stick, helping the Capitals stay ahead 3-2.
Key stat:
This was Washington’s first win in six regular-season visits to T-Mobile Arena, despite their 2018 Stanley Cup win here.
Next up:
The Capitals will wrap up their three-game road trip in Utah on Monday, while the Golden Knights head to Toronto for a five-game road stretch starting Wednesday.
