PITTSBURGH — Alex Ovechkin scored a power-play goal during Washington’s fast start, and the Capitals beat Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Ovechkin and Crosby faced off for the 67th time in the regular season. Crosby finished with a goal and an assist, but Washington held on after racing out to a 4-0 lead.
“I think we came out, we were playing really well,” Tom Wilson said of the Capitals’ first period. “Maybe one of our best periods of the year. We made it a little harder on ourselves that we probably needed to.”
It was the 10th time that Ovechkin and Crosby scored in the same game, and first since a Capitals win on Nov. 7, 2018.
Wilson, Martin Fehervary and Beck Malenstyn also scored for Washington, which had dropped four in a row. Darcy Kuemper made 33 saves.
Ovechkin got his eighth of the season and No. 830 for his career, which is 65 from passing Wayne Gretzky’s league record of 894 goals.
The Russian winger also surpassed Ray Bourque for the seventh-most points by a player with one franchise in NHL history. Ovechkin made it 4-0, but it was his 126th game-winning goal, which is nine from Jaromir Jagr’s NHL record.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) checks Washington Capitals Ethan Bear (25) into the boards during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
Crosby scored his 21st of the season, a power-play goal in the second period. He has 1,540 points, passing Joe Thornton for 12th on the NHL’s career points list.
“It’s never good when you lose,” Crosby said. “I don’t think everyone is feeling good about getting three and making it 4-3. You want to win divisional games and make sure you get those points and we didn’t do that.”
Jake Guentzel scored his 17th goal for Pittsburgh, and Rickard Rakell picked up his third. The Penguins had won three in a row.
Tristan Jarry allowed three goals on seven first-period shots before he was replaced by…
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