Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
Just the facts: Vegas Golden Knights 4 Washington Capitals 3 in OT
Winning overtime goal: Shea Theodore on a gorgeous stick-handling move
Storyline: VGK stay alive in playoff hunt.
Goal scorers for VGK: Alec Martinez, Evgenii Dadonov, Chandler Stephenson, Theodore
Announced attendance: 18,240
VGK record: 42-31-5 for 87 points, two points behind Dallas in wild card race, three points behind LA Kings for third place in division
Sub-story line: Alex Ovechkin scored two goals for Washington to reach 50 goals for ninth time in career
*
The mock cheer by fans in T-Mobile Arena when Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner stopped a slow-moving puck comes with the territory of playing at the highest level of professional hockey.
Earlier in the first period in the game between the Knights and the playoff-bound Washington Capitals, Lehner made a stop on a Caps shot. But the puck dropped to the ice and Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov tapped it into an unguarded net. It was the Caps center’s 24th goal of the season.
Lehner, who has battled injuries this season and has played inconsistently of late, would not return to guard the VGK net in period two.
Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer inserted Logan Thompson into the lineup for the middle stanza with the game tied at one.
The VGK had tied the score at one when defenseman Alec Martinez flipped the puck toward the Washington net and it skipped by several players and past Caps goalie Ilya Samsonov in the first period. It was Martinez’s second goal of his injury-marred season.
*
In period two, Alex Ovechkin took a pass skating down the left side on a two-on-one break and he did what he has down so many times in this league.
The 36-year-old fired the puck to the back of the net as Thompson did not have enough time to slide over and get in the line of fire.
It was Ovechkin’s 49th of the 2021-22 season. He also had an assist on Kuznetsov’s goal in period one.
The Golden Knights did not generate too many scoring chances on Samsonov. With two minutes left in period two, the VGK had mustered 16 shots on goal. They had 17 shots after two periods.
After two periods, Washington led the Knights, 2-1.
*
Down a goal and desperate for a win entering the third period, the Golden Knights scored two very important goals.
VGK forward Evgenii Dadonov skated down the right side and fired a shot that Samsonov probably should have stopped. But the puck skittered off his midsection and landed in the net.
The Knights tied the game at two.
And then Chandler Stephenson redirected a puck past Samsonov on a power play, and, just like that, the Knights were leading, 3-2, a few minutes into the third period.
The Knights announced attendance as 18,240.
And then Ovechkin took a pass and blasted a shot past Thompson. And just like that, the Caps and Knights were tied at three.
You might recall from the Stanley Cup Finals in VGK Year 1 that the Washington Caps fans travel quite well. So when Ovechkin celebrated his 50th goal of the season, the red-sweatered Capitals fans in the building were chanting, “Ovi, Ovi, Ovi!”
In overtime, Theodore’s out his puck-handling skills on display and flipped a backhander into the back of the net.
Final: Vegas 4 Washington 3 OT.
Check out Wednesday’s scores:
PSA