Ovechkin scores his 858th goal and has 2 assists as the Capitals beat the Canadiens 6-3

Alex Ovechkin scored his 858th profession extremity and had 2 assists, and nan Washington Capitals hit nan Montreal Canadiens 6-3 to proceed their beardown start

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored his 858th profession extremity and had 2 assists, and nan Washington Capitals hit nan Montreal Canadiens 6-3 connected Thursday nighttime to proceed their beardown start.

Ovechkin is now 37 goals distant from breaking Wayne Gretzky's record. After making Cayden Primeau the 176th different goaltender he has scored on, Ovechkin is connected gait for 45 this season, which would put him astatine 895 and possibly beyond this spring.

Before scoring pinch 7:33 near successful nan 3rd period, Ovechkin group up goals by Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas. Wilson ended an 0-for-22 power-play drought pinch his team-leading sixth extremity of nan season.

Brandon Duhaime and Jakub Vrana scored little than a infinitesimal apart, and caller dada Connor McMichael besides had a extremity for nan Capitals, who improved to 7-2-0. They past won 7 of their first 9 games successful 2015-16.

Montreal's Cole Caufield scored his 10th to necktie New Jersey skipper Nico Hischier for nan convention lead. Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki had nan different goals for nan Canadiens, and Primeau stopped 28 shots.

Canadiens: After coach Martin St-Louis mixed up his lines pursuing an 8-2 location nonaccomplishment to Seattle, this was a amended effort. It besides helped to get defensemen Kaiden Guhle and Justin Barrow backmost from injury.

Capitals: The sample size is nary longer excessively small. It's OK to deliberation nan Caps are a playoff contender aft respective offseason additions.

Charlie Lindgren made nan biggest of his 13 saves denying Caufield connected a lengthy punishment termination successful nan third, which came aft Washington went up 5-3.

The Capitals person scored 3 aliases much goals successful 8 of their 9 games.

The Capitals big Columbus connected Saturday, and nan Canadiens sojourn Pittsburgh.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl