Alex Ovechkin capped his 28th career hat trick by scoring 4:02 into the third period to lead the host Washington Capitals to a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Friday night.
Ovechkin, who upped his season total to 18 goals, scored on the left side on a rebound, from the right circle on the rush and in the slot. He has 273 career power-play goals, one shy of Dave Andreychuk’s NHL record.
Tom Wilson collected one goal and two assists and Evgeny Kuznetsov set up three tallies for the Capitals.
Florida was leading 1-0 early in the second period before the Capitals scored three goals in 2:12.
Jonathan Huberdeau, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers.
Due to a concussion scare with Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida made several goaltender changes within the first two periods. Bobrovsky absorbed a hit from Wilson and left the game after allowing two goals. Spencer Knight (six saves) relieved the netminder and allowed a quick goal, which is when Bobrovsky returned and finished with 19 saves.
After Reinhart’s goal with 6:49 expired in the second period, Bobrovsky was forced off the ice by the officials as part of the NHL’s concussion protocol. Bobrovsky returned for good with 2:48 remaining in the period.
Washington’s Ilya Samsonov made 19 saves.
Related: NHL games today – 2022 NHL offseason calendar, NHL Draft, free agency
The Panthers were without two of their top-six forwards: captain Aleksander Barkov (knee) and Anthony Duclair (undisclosed). This is the fourth straight game Barkov has missed, and Duclair was a late scratch.
Florida opened the scoring on Huberdeau’s breakaway goal with just 32 seconds left in the first period. After a Capitals turnover, Huberdeau made a move and used his backhand to shove the puck between Samsonov’s pads.
Washington scored a shorthanded goal 1:34 into the second. After a Kuznetsov steal, the Panthers got caught in a bad line change. Kuznetsov sent a stretch pass to John Carlson, who fed Wilson for the goal from the right circle. Wilson and Bobrovsky collided in the aftermath of the goal.
Related: NHL power rankings – Colorado and Florida clinch, Bolts cool down
Three seconds after Wilson’s goal, Florida’s Joe Thornton was penalized for tripping Beck Malenstyn.
Ovechkin scored the next two goals to give Washington a 3-1 lead.
Reinhart’s goal closed the second-period scoring with Florida trailing, 3-2.
Ovechkin and Verhaeghe traded goals early in the third period, and the Capitals hung on from there.
–Field Level Media