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Capitals take step in right direction by protecting a 3rd period lead

By J.J. Regan

Caps take step in right direction by protecting a third period lead originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

On Tuesday, the Capitals entered the third period against the Florida Panthers with a three-goal lead to protect and lost. On Thursday, Washington took a one-goal lead against the Chicago Blackhawks in the third, but coughed it up and lost in a shootout.

After two straight blown third-period leads, a troubling trend was starting to develop. On Saturday, however, the Caps took a step in the right direction by locking down the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 3-1 win.

“The third period tonight, I thought we had to compete hard,” head coach Peter Laviolette said.

“I thought today as the game went, I thought we got up more up on the bench and more positive and guys started building some momentum,” T.J. Oshie said. “I thought the guys did great job of closing it out.”

Through two periods on Saturday, Washington put together a dominant defensive performance. Most of the Blue Jackets’ offense was restricted to the perimeter and the Caps allowed only three shots on goal in the second period. This put them in a position where, once again, they would be protecting the lead in the third.

Washington entered the third period with a 2-0 lead. Things did not start out great as Eric Robinson scored 6:28 in to make it 2-1. Rather than panic, however, the Caps battled back. Columbus did make a push to tie the game, but the Caps limited those opportunities and generated offensive chances of their own. The Blue Jackets held the edge in shot attempts, but only narrowly, 16-13.

Robinson’s goal turned out to be the only real scoring chance for Columbus in the period as the Caps closed out the game with a final strong 20 minutes on defense. Washington made life easy for goalie Ilya Samsonov and Garnet Hathaway was able to put the finishing touches on the win with an empty-net goal.

“I think in the third period they have only one chance, something like that,” Alex Ovechkin said. “So, obviously, it was a lucky bounce, but after that we kind of keep playing our way. Tried to play simple and get two points.”

Yes, Columbus scored, yes they were able to push on offense, but that’s to be expected when a team is looking to tie the game in the final period. You are going to get their best shot. The Caps got it from the Blue Jackets but still managed to limit their scoring opportunities. Washington played well enough to get the win and stop a troubling streak of blown third-period leads from becoming an outright trend.

“I thought Columbus, their best period was in the third period,” Laviolette said. “I thought they competed extremely hard and never stopped working on pucks so we had to work the entire time and defensively, I thought we were good through the game.”

All about Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin with stats and contract info

By NBC Sports Washington Staff
All about Alex Ovechkin with stats and contract info originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonEver since making his NHL debut in 2005, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has proven to be the greatest goalscorer the sport has ever seen.The 2004 No. 1 overall pick scored two goals in his first career game and hasn't stopped finding the back of the net at record pace, putting him within reach of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals mark. Ovechkin has compiled an impressive trophy case along the way, winning three Hart Memorial Trophy MVPs, a record nine Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies as the NHL's leading goal scorer, nine NHL First-Team selections, 12 all-star selections, the 2018-19 Stanley Cup title and the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP of that year's playoffs.He is undoubtedly one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Alex Ovechkin's BioHeight: 6-foot-3Weight: 238 poundsBirthdate: Sept. 17, 1985 Birthplace: Moscow, RussiaNHL experience: 17 seasonsJersey No. 8Alex Ovechkin's Career StatsAfter showing no signs of slowing down with a 50-goal season in Year 17, Ovechkin has continued to put up mind-boggling stats deep into his 30s. Here are his complete career numbers to date (through Oct 11, 2022): 1,274 games played780 goals scored630 assists1,410 pointsStanley Cup Playoffs:141 games71 goals64 assists135 pointsAlex Ovechkin's Contract DetailsIt was always a matter of "when" and not "if" Alex Ovechkin would sign a contract extension with the Capitals this past offseason. The five-year, $47.5 million deal he signed at the end of July 2021 showed his desire to finish his career in the nation's capital with an eye towards breaking the all-time goals record as well. Ovechkin's deal ends following the 2025-26 season. Where does Alex Ovechkin rank on the all-time goals list? Ovechkin finished his 17th NHL season with a clean 50 goals, bringing his career total to 780. Here's where that ever-growing mark ranks on the all-time goals leaderboard: Wayne Gretzky: 894Gordie Howe: 801Alex Ovechkin: 780Jaromir Jagr: 766Brett Hull: 741Other Alex Ovechkin RecordsMuch has been made about Ovechkin's all-time goals chase, but he's also accumulated some other pretty impressive records along the way as well. Most recently, Ovi broke the all-time power play goals mark with his 275th score on New Year's Eve against the Red Wings. By a second, he narrowly beat the release of Detroit's man in the penalty box to secure the record. Here are some of the Great 8's other all-time NHL records: Most scoring titles: nineMost overtime goals: 24Most consecutive 30-goal seasons: 15 (tied with Jaromir Jagr and Mike Gartner)
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