It was without their captain Alexander Ovechkin, injured in the lower body, that the Washington Capitals were forced to face their rival New York Rangers.
At Madison Square Garden, the local favorites won 5-3 on Tuesday night in a match presented on TVA Sports and on TVA Sports Direct. See the highlights in the video above.
The “Caps” indicated only a few minutes before the start of the meeting that the Russian would have to be absent. This was also the case for striker Sonny Milano, who is ill.
Ovechkin’s reassuring presence on offense was missed by the Capitals, whose goals were scored by support staff Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Nic Dowd and Matt Irwin.
It was not enough to counter the offensive machine of the Blueshirts. Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Patrick Kane also hit the target with a good shot on the power play. The mark was completed by captain Jacob Trouba and forward Jimmy Vesey.
Ovechkin picked up a point in a 5-1 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday. He has also collected five points in his last four meetings. The 37-year-old left winger has 62 points in as many games this season. He also scored 36 goals and is 78 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.
More points for Kotkaniemi
In Raleigh, Jesperi Kotkaniemi made his presence felt with three points to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
The Finn hadn’t added his name to the scoresheet since his famous five-point night on March 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. His two goals – including one in an empty net – and his assist allowed him to come within one point of his career-best total of 34, established during his rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens.
Kotkaniemi’s second-period net temporarily made the difference, but the game-winning goal went to Jack Drury – his first of the season – thanks to third-period successes from Nikolaj Ehlers and Nino Niederreiter.
It was not a great night for the goalies. Frederik Andersen recorded the victory with 21 saves, and David Rittich allowed four goals on 24 shots for the Jets.
