Alex Ovechkin, Caps pull out 2-1 win over Canucks

Alex Ovechkin scored the go-ahead goal and the visiting Washington Capitals rallied past the Vancouver Canucks for a 2-1 win on Saturday night.

Tom Wilson also scored for the Capitals, who improved to 2-2 on their five-game Western road trip. Charlie Lindgren made 21 saves. Washington completes the five-game trip Monday in Calgary as they remain in the hunt for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Brock Boeser scored his 36th goal of the season for the Canucks, who have lost two straight after winning four in a row. Casey DeSmith made 22 saves.

Both teams went 0-for-1 on the power play.

Washington forward T.J. Oshie, who was a game-time decision after leaving the morning skate due to an upper-body injury, played 20:42 and had one shot on goal in his 1,000th NHL game.

Boeser gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 1:11 of the first period. Quinn Hughes skated down into the left circle and his shot was tipped in by Boeser. Hughes boosted his point total to 77 (13 goals, 64 assists), breaking his own record for most points in a season by a Canucks defenseman.

Wilson tied the score 1-1 at 6:01 of the second period. John Carlson shot the puck toward the net from along the right boards. Ivan Miroshnichenko controlled the puck in front and passed across the slot to Wilson, who scored his 16th of the season.

Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead at 7:54 when he completed a tic-tac-toe passing sequence. Alex Alexeyev passed to Connor McMichael in the slot and McMichael fed Ovechkin, who scored from the left post. Ovechkin, who has 19 goals this season, had gone four games without a goal. With 841 goals, he's 53 shy of tying Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894 goals.

Washington outshot Vancouver 14-5 in the second period. Vancouver turned the tide and outshot Washington 11-4 in the third period, but could not get the equalizer past Lindgren, who has allowed one goal in each of his past two starts and won both.

—Field Level Media