The Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by a final of 3-2. Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the contest including in overtime to give the Caps the win.
Finally a playoff overtime goal for Ovechkin
It only took 20 years but it's hard to score an overtime goal. It is even harder to do it in the playoffs. It's not that Alex Ovechkin hasn't had chances he just hadn't scored on those previous ones. Until Monday night.
But before we get to all that we got to talk about his first goal of the night. It came on the power play at 18:34 of the first period. Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome had the assists and it came from the Ovechkin office similar to his 895th career goal earlier in the month.
1-0 was the score after one with the Caps leading in shots 14-13. In the second Anthony Beauvillier doubled the lead at 12:09 with a rebound in front on an Ovechkin shot. Strome had the secondary assist. Shots after two were 9-8 in favor of the Caps.
In the third period the Habs struck with a power play marker from Cole Caufield at 10:32. Nick Suzuki tied it at 15:45. Habs led in shots 14-7 in the third period. Caps were outshot 35-32 overall as the game would require overtime.
It only took the Caps two shots and on the second shot it was none other than Ovechkin at 2:26 with a stuff right in front of the net for his first career overtime winning goal in the playoffs. Beauvillier and Strome had the assists.
"I think it was a great play by (Dylan Strome to win the face off. It was kind of a little scrum and 'Beauvi' have a first shot and then he tried to find me out there and good things happen when you go to the net. "Alex Ovechkin
Logan Thompson would get the win in goal with a 33 save performance for a .943 save percentage in his first game action since injury earlier in the month. That came April 2 in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Strome finished with a hat trick of assists, that's three apples, Ovechkin had an assist in additon to his two goals. Beauvillier had a goal and an assist, a newcomer to the team who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline.