Alexander Ovechkin did the best he could, scoring three times instead of once, to help DC beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Friday in Washington.
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Barely 76 seconds after the net from Tom Wilson, who tied 1-1 during a shortened penalty early in the second half, the “hats” captain made use of strong play to give him the lead. Well positioned, Ovechkin slowly descended toward the net to complete a match from Wilson and Alexi Protas.
After that first goal for the 36-year-old, Panthers goalkeeper Sergey Bobrovsky made way for Spencer Knight, visibly shaken by an accidental contact with Wilson, after the latter shook the ropes.
Ovechkin greeted Knight with a flash of red light just 56 seconds after his first success, using a slap in the area.
Then the musical chair game continued, as Bobrovsky returned to take his place in front of the leopard cage, a few seconds after Ovechkin’s second goal, before an official saw him at the exit door, ten minutes later.
Ovie completed his duel by needlepoint again at the start of the third inning. This is his 28th hat-trick. This equals Marcel Dion and Bobby Hull for sixth place in National League history at this level.
His teammates Wilson and Evgeny Kuznetsov also finished their match with three points each.
Vasilevskiy menotte le Kraken
In Tampa, Lightning goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy completely shut the door on the Seattle Kraken skiers to help his team win 3-0.
The Russian was tested only 17 times, but he fended off both of those attempts. He tested a lot in the first and second runs, throwing seven little balls at him during each of those engagements.
At the other end of the ice, Lightning needed only 26 shots to defeat Philipp Grubauer three times. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ross Colton and Stephen Stamkus have come to the end of The Masked Man for Visitors.
Great Wall of Pittsburgh
In New York, Pittsburgh Penguins goalkeeper Tristan Gary once again stood in front of his cage, which was perfect for the Islanders’ 1-0 elimination.
Gary blocked all 25 shots he faced to sign the shutdown. This is also the masked man’s third close in his last five duels, who has also played with the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as only allowing one net. To the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets through this line.
Kasperi Kapanen was the only one to shine a red light in this duel, during the second engagement, while Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel were partners.
For the islanders, this is their eighth loss in a row.
Emily Thompson is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about current events and developments that matter to their community. Her work emphasizes useful information, balanced coverage, and stories that reflect the interests, concerns, and everyday experiences of readers across Canada.