WASHINGTON (AP) Alex Ovechkin recorded his 27th career hat trick and raised his career goal total to 698 during a five-minute stretch of the third period, rallying the Washington Capitals to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.
Ovechkin, who is closing in on becoming the eighth player in NHL history to reach the 700-goal plateau, moved into the NHL lead with 40 on the season. He singlehandedly overturned a 2-1 deficit inside the final 6:10 of regulation. He has 14 of those 40 goals in his last seven games.
Ovechkin one-timed a feed from T.J. Oshie to tie the game at 2-all . Seventy seconds later, he rebounded his own miss off goaltender Jonathan Quick’s pads and put Washington in front.
He added an empty-netter with 1:46 to play, moving within 10 goals of Mike Gartner for seventh on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
John Carlson added his 14th goal and 50th and 51st assists for Washington, which rebounded after opening a four-game homestand with a loss to Pittsburgh. Braden Holtby made 29 saves in the win.
Jeff Carter scored his 15th and 16th goals for the Kings, putting Los Angeles briefly in front when he redirected Drew Doughty’s pass to the left post with 8:27 to play.
Quick stopped 20 shots in the Kings’ seventh loss in eight games.
NOTES: Doughty picked up his 495th point in his return after missing three games with an undisclosed injury, moving him past Rob Blake into first all-time among Kings defensemen. … Kings C Anze Kopitar’s point streak was halted at six games. … Washington recalled G Vitek Vanecek from AHL Hershey and scratched G Ilya Samsonov, who departed Tuesday’s morning skate early after taking a blow to the head. … The Capitals also recalled D Martin Fehervary. … Backstrom played his 941st game, passing Kelly Miller for fourth-most in Capitals history.
UP NEXT
Kings: Visit New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
Capitals: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
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