Friday's hockey: Capitals one point behind Wings after shootout win against Hurricanes
Washington — Sonny Milano recorded his first hat trick in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin scored again and the Washington Capitals ended the Carolina Hurricanes' winning streak at five with a 7-6 shootout victory Friday night that could play a pivotal role in their playoff pursuit.
Ovechkin's goal was the 846th of his NHL career, while Milano scored one of his three juggling the puck off his stick and batting it into the net in front of a fired-up crowd in the nation’s capital.
Fans chanted “Ovi! Ovi!” after he scored for the sixth time in four games to reach 24 this season, a run that has upped his chances of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record, and finally threw hats on to the ice after the announcement of Milano's third goal of the back-and-forth game.
“Fun game,” Milano said. “We just kept putting the puck in the net, so it was definitely a real fun game to be a part of.”
John Carlson scored early in the third period to jumpstart the rally, Connor McMichael scored minutes later and Dylan Strome had the only goal in a five-round shootout.
It all added up to a fourth win in five games for the Capitals, who moved one point back of Detroit for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and two behind Philadelphia for third place in the Metropolitan Division. They've played one fewer game than either of those teams, and their postseason hopes are very much alive.
More:Friday's hockey: Capitals one point behind Wings after shootout win against Hurricanes
That's thanks in large part to goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who was solid in relief of starter Darcy Kuemper, who was pulled after two periods for allowing four goals on 22 shots. Lindgren made seven saves in the third and overtime.
A possible first-round opponent, Carolina lost for just the second time since acquiring Jake Guentzel from Pittsburgh and Evgeny Kuznetsov from Washington at the trade deadline. Sebastian Aho had a hat trick of his own to reach 30 goals this season, Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes and Guentzel had three assists.
“It was just a weird game," said Guentzel, who has 11 points in seven games with the Hurricanes. "Just one of those weird games you’re going to play in.”
Pyotr Kochetkov gave up six goals on 25 shots, starting the second half of a back to back after Frederik Andersen beat the Flyers in overtime Thursday night.
Back in his old arena two weeks after being traded, Kuznetsov got a standing ovation during and after an emotional video tribute early in the game.
“That’s special," Kuznetsov said. "It means the world for any player. I want to say thanks for all the good and bad memories. It was an amazing atmosphere. I spent a lot of years here, so it was all happy today.”
The Capitals were again without injured forwards T.J. Oshie and Aliaksei Protas and played their first game without winger Tom Wilson, who began serving a six-game suspension for swinging his stick and hitting an opponent in the face with it late in a 7-3 loss to Toronto on Wednesday night.
More Friday games
(At) Dallas 4, Pittsburgh 2: Jamie Benn scored twice in a 1:17 span to extend his goal streak to a season-best three games, and Dallas beat Pittsburgh.
The Dallas captain is up to 15 goals on the season, with six in the past eight games, as the Stars finished 3-2 on a five-game homestand, the last of three that were their longest of the season.
Michael Bunting scored on Pittsburgh’s third shot, but Jake Oettinger stopped the next 12 before Rickard Rakell’s goal midway through the third period for the final margin.
The Penguins – in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 – dropped to 2-10-2 in their past 14 road games.
(At) Colorado 6, Columbus 1: Mikko Rantanen had two goals and an assist and Nathan MacKinnon extended his home points streak to 33 games with a third-period score.
Cale Makar, Ross Colton and Valeri Nichushkin added goals for the Avalanche, who won their eighth straight game as they surged to the top of the Central Division. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 23 shots for his 36th win of the season.
"A lot of guys are feeling good about their game now. I would say everybody," said Rantanen, whose team had 51 shots on goal. “So we’re just trying to ride the streak now and keep it going.”
(At) Arizona 2, Seattle 1 (OT): Dylan Guenther scored on a breakaway at 4:12 of overtime for the Kraken's seventh straight loss.
Clayton Keller tied it for Arizona with 1:08 left in the regulation with his 29th goal. He tipped in a shot from Nick Bjugstad.
Karel Vejmelka made 26 saves for the Coyotes in the first of seven straight home games. They have split their last four games but have lost 19 of 25.
Kraken rookie Ryker Evans scored his first career goal to open the scoring at 7:40 of the third period, beating Vejmelka with a wrist shot from a severe angle in the left circle.
Playoff tracker
Atlantic
▶ Bruins (97)
▶ Panthers (94)
▶ Maple Leafs (87)
Metropolitan
▶ Rangers (96)
▶ Hurricanes (95)
▶ Flyers (79)
Wild card
▶ Lightning (82)
▶ Red Wings (78)
(Top two wild-card teams make the playoffs)
▶ Capitals (77)
▶ Islanders (73)
▶ Devils (72)
▶ Sabres (71)
▶ Penguins (69)
Michigan Tech 2, Bermidji State 1
Ryland Mosley and Chase Pietila scored goals and goalie Blake Pietila made 34 saves for Michigan Tech in a 2-1 victory over Bermidji State to capture the 2024 CCHA Mason Cup.
Green Bay 7, NTDP U17's 2
Donny Bracoo and Will Belle scored for the NTDP U17's in a 7-2 loss against the Green Bay Gamblers on Friday in Green Bay.
Marchessault's agent puts contract talks on hold
Jonathan Marchessault picked an especially good time to put together the best season of his 11-year career.
He is in the final season of a six-year, $30 million contract in Vegas, giving the Golden Knights a major decision to make after the season. Marchessault has scored a career-high 38 goals, just five off the Knights' single-season record.
Marchessault's agent, Pat Brisson, told The Associated Press there have been a handful of conversations with Knights management, but he didn't expect anything to happen until after the season. If Vegas doesn't extend the 33-year-old Marchessault, he would be one of the more attractive free agents on the market when free agency begins July 1.
He entered the season after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the playoffs MVP, in leading Vegas to its first Stanley Cup championship.
“He's OK waiting,” Brisson said. "Of course, you would rather have a deal done. Sometimes the reason you don't have a deal done is because you're not there yet. He's been in Vegas ever since its inception seven years ago. He likes it there, been producing, won the Cup last year, won the Conn Smythe."
Marchessault turned it up a notch in the playoffs last season with a team-leading 13 goals as well as 25 points, which was second.
He has three hat tricks this season, and is chasing fellow original Knight William Karlsson's record of 43 goals set in the club's first season in 2017-18.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” Karlsson said of his record-breaking season. “(Marchessault) just always seems to be there. It's hard to explain.”
Michigan-area hockey this week
Friday
▶ Michigan Tech 2, Bermidji State 1
▶ Green Bay 7, NTDP U17's 2
Saturday
▶ Red Wings at Nashville, 5 (BSD/97.1)
▶ Grand Rapids at Rockford, 8 (AHL/106.9/1300)
▶ Michigan at Michigan State, 8 (Big Ten)
▶ NTDP U17's at Madison, 8
Thursday
▶ Red Wings 6, N.Y. Islanders 3
Wednesday
▶ Grand Rapids 4, Manitoba 1
Tuesday
▶ Red Wings 4, Columbus 3 (OT)
▶ Manitoba 5, Grand Rapids 1