Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin Leads Way Over Ottawa Senators

The Washington Capitals, energized by an Alex Ovechkin hat trick, came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 in a shootout.

After a sleepy two periods, the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators put on a show for the Ottawa fans early in the 3rd period. An Alex Ovechkin hat trick in a span of just over six minutes brought the Capitals back after being down 3-1 early in the third.

As good as Ovechkin was, Evgeny Kuznetsov proved to be the straw that stirs the drink, assisting on all three Ovechkin goals. That same duo scored back to back in the shootout to earn Washington the win after a rare T.J. Oshie miss to start the skills competition. Rookie Jakub Vrana got two assists, both of them on Ovechkin’s strikes.

The game began with a moving tribute to former Capitals and Senators coach Bryan Murray. Both teams wore a special emblem on their helmet to honor Murray, who died after a battle with cancer this past August.

Out of the gate, the Capitals looked crisp and played with energy. This was a relief to fans after a lackluster preseason where the team consistently looked slower than the competition. Devante Smith-Pelly announced his arrival with the first big hit of the game early in the first.

Unlike most of the preseason, there was good flow both ways from the start. The first whistle wasn’t until the 14:31 mark. However, the early jump didn’t translate to an early lead. Chris Wideman scored for Ottawa on a sharp angle shot goaltender Bradon Holtby would like to have back. The Capitals would answer back just 1:42 later on a top-shelf rocket off the stick of Brett Connoly. Lars Eller provided a perfect pass to set him up.

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The first penalty of the game and season also went to Lars Eller on a slash. It was set up by a missed hip check along the boards that left the Caps scrambling. This wouldn’t be the last time in the game that a defensive miscue would cost the team.

Despite giving Ottawa two power plays in the first, the Capitals killed both giving up just a single shot. That was enough to send the teams off tied at the first intermission.

The first line of Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana started out the second period with a preview of what was to come later. They were as dominant as a line can be and not score, with Ovechkin banging his first good shot of the game off the post.

Mark Stone would score for Ottawa off of a sloppy shift from the Caps third line trio. After struggling to get out of the defensive zone, Alex Chiasson failed to get the puck across the center line and Stone buried a wicked slapshot just under the bar glove side on Holtby.

Just over two minutes into the third, a Matt Niskanen clearing attempt up the middle found only Senators. Holtby was hung out to dry for a layup goal by Derrick Brassard. Up 3-1, it quickly started to look like the strangling Senators defensive trap would be the story of the third period.

Ovechkin and his linemates were having none of that, however. Ovi scored his first of the night at 4:15 on a snapshot to the top corner. Just over 90 seconds later, the Washington Capitals captain scored his second on a tic-tac-toe passing play with Vrana and Kuznetsov to tie the game at 3-3. Stone scored his second of the night on a deflection past Holtby at the 6:55 mark.

In one of the most dominant performances we’ve seen from Ovechkin in years, he got the lead back at 10:48 to tie the game one more time. Vrana and Kuznetsov each picked up an assist as the trio fought through smothering Ottawa defense to keep the puck in the zone until it dropped on Ovechkin’s stick.

That was the end of the scoring in regulation. Four goals in 6:33 of ice time, and Ovechkin’s first hat-trick of the new season. If the first line continues to play the way they did in the third period, it won’t be the last.

Overtime started with an early holding penalty against Kuznetsov and Ottawa’s fifth man advantage of the night to just one for the Capitals. No matter, the Washington Capitals finished the game perfect on the penalty kill, setting up the shootout win.

It was fitting that Ovechkin would get the Capitals even at 1-1 in the shootout and Holtby would follow with a nice save to keep it tied. Equally as fitting that they left the game on Kuznetsov’s stick.

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As great as Ovechkin was in this game, scoring one of the quickest hat-tricks you’ll ever see, Evgeny Kuznetsov was the best player on the ice in Ottawa. He proved it one last time when he finished off the Senators. Sliding the puck under Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson for the win. He made it look easy like only Kuznetsov can.

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