Ovechkin scored two goals for the Caps (Caps Outsider)
The Capitals suddenly found themselves back in the playoff hunt recently, but Wednesday night’s home contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs wasn’t pretty, as Auston Matthews and company left Capital One Arena with a 7-3 victory.
On the bright side, Alex Ovechkin scored twice, giving him 23 goals on the season and 845 of his career, 50 behind passing Wayne Gretzky’s record. This was also his second consecutive two-goal game.
Ovechkin’s first goal came on the power play from the left circle in typical Ovi fashion in the second period, while his second tally came in the third to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Connor McMichael also scored for the Caps when he directed a shot off of Toronto goalie Joseph Woll and into the net in the second period.
However, the Maple Leafs proved why they’re one of the better teams in the NHL, as Matthews also scored twice to give him a league-leading 58 goals this season.
Other Toronto players who contributed to the scoring include William Nylander, Jake McCabe, Bobby McMann, Tyler Bertuzzi, and John Tavares. Max Domi also had a career-high four assists for the Maple Leafs.
The Capitals now drop to 33-26-9 with 75 points on the season, remaining one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second Wild Card spot in the East.
