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Ottawa Senators come up short as Alex Ovechkin scores OT winner for Washington Capitals

Byindianadmin

Jan 17, 2025
Ottawa Senators come up short as Alex Ovechkin scores OT winner for Washington Capitals

“That was a great game. The team played great. It sucks that we lost, but that was a hell of a hockey game,” says Ottawa coach Travis Green

Published Jan 16, 2025  •  Last updated 1 hour ago  •  4 minute read

Washington Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas (21) and Ottawa Senators’ Josh Norris (9) battle for the puck during second period NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Thursday. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press

CAPITALS 1, SENATORS 0 (OT)

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Travis Green made no bones about the fact this night was a measuring stick for the Ottawa Senators

Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are one of the National Hockey League’s best teams, which is why the club’s head coach wanted the Senators to bring their best, and Ottawa didn’t disappoint.

The Senators went toe-to-toe with the Caps and this effort wasn’t pointless as Ottawa dropped a 1-0 overtime decision to Washington in front of 17,242 on Thursday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.

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Ovechkin was quiet most of the night until he scored his 21st of the season at 3:07 of overtime to secure the win.

“It’s going to be a good challenge for us,” Green said in the hours before the visit by the Caps. “I get excited personally when you get to play good teams and teams that are having a good year. It’s a good measuring stick.”

The task was a little more difficult without top defenceman Thomas Chabot, who is listed as day-to-day with a facial injury. But the Senators need these points to make the playoffs.

“That was a great game. The team played great. It sucks that we lost, but that was a hell of a hockey game,” said Green afterwards.

Ottawa goalie Leevi Merilainen and Washington netminder Logan Thompson were both rock solid when they had to be. The Caps pushed the pace in the third, but Ottawa didn’t back down.

THE HOT HAND

Merilainen made his fourth straight start, which just made sense, and he was great again with the fans chanting his name in OT.

He came into this one with two shutouts in the club’s last three games and had three straight wins in that stretch.

Merilainen moved his record to 5-2-0 in seven appearances in the club’s net this season with a victory over the Isles on Tuesday. He has a .925 save percentage and a 1.99 goals-against average in that stretch.

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The Caps registered only 11 shots through the first two periods, as the Senators did a good job limiting the opportunities on Merilainen. Ottawa picked up right where it left off on Tuesday, winning 2-0 on the road against the New York Islanders.

“I’m very happy with the way we played defensively. It was a great effort with a disappointing ending,” said Merilainen, who made a breakaway stop on Tom Wilson in OT.

Thompson came into this game with an 8-0-1 record in his last nine games with Washington.

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DIFFICULT TEST

The Caps came into this game with a 6-1-3 record in their last 10 games and had collected points in eight straight.

Ovechkin was only 22 goals shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals in 1,4877 games played for the most goals in NHL history.

“Anytime you’re talking about a record of Wayne Gretzky’s … most of his records you never thought they’d be broken,” Green said. “That’s a real testament to what he’s doing, he looks like he’s going to break it, and he’s arguably the best goal scorer of all time.”

Ovechkin had amassed 36 goals and 60 points in 57 career games against the Senators and stepped up when it was needed in OT.

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“I’ve definitely seen that time and time again,” said Ottawa defenceman Nick Jensen, dealt to the Senators by the Caps in the off-season. “He’s been able to produce like this year after year so it’s no surprise that he can still do it.”

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