WASHINGTON — Nic Dowd scored twice in 11 seconds, Dmitry Orlov had the overtime winner and the Washington Capitals won their second in a row by beating the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 Monday night with Alex Ovechkin still waiting for his next major milestone.
Ovechkin, for a third consecutive game, was unable to score his 801st goal and tie Gordie Howe for second on the NHL career list. He remained stuck on 800 with Howe’s sons Mark and Marty in attendance and thinking it would be fitting if Ovechkin tied their father’s mark against his longtime team, with which he played 25 seasons.
Even without a goal from Ovechkin, the Capitals will take the victory on Orlov’s goal with 21.3 seconds left in 3-on-3 overtime, especially after playing without winger T.J. Oshie. And it took coming back from a two-goal deficit to get it.
Ovechkin started the rally by setting up Dowd’s first of back-to-back goals in the second period, the succession of which are the second-fastest by a player in franchise history.
After the Red Wings reclaimed the lead early in the third period with Ovechkin on the ice, defenseman Erik Gustafsson scored just 70 seconds later to pull Washington even again. While everyone has been awaiting Ovechkin’s latest pursuit of hockey history, Gustafsson has scored four times in two games.
David Perron, Oskar Sundqvist and Lucas Raymond scored in regulation for Detroit, which has now lost six in a row and nine of 11. Ville Husso made 38 saves.
Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren stopped 16 of the 19 shots he faced in his eighth consecutive start.
NOTES: The Red Wings took part in a three-team, minor league trade prior to the NHL’s holiday roster freeze, in which they received center Danny O’Regan from Anaheim, sent winger Givani Smith to Florida and the Ducks got veteran defenseman Michael Del Zotto from the Panthers. ... The Capitals say winger T.J. Oshie is day to day with an upper-body injury. Oshie left the game Saturday in pain and has not skated with the team since. ... Darcy Kuemper was in uniform backing up Lindgren for the first time since getting injured Dec. 3.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning, who coach Derek Lalonde worked for as an assistant for the past four seasons and won the Stanley Cup twice, on Wednesday.
Capitals: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.