ST. LOUIS — On Saturday night, the Washington Capitals delivered a resounding performance, defeating the St. Louis Blues with a score of 8-1. Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael each netted two goals, leading the way for Washington.
Ovechkin’s impressive tally of 863 goals brings him within 31 goals of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record of 894. The veteran forward has been a consistent scorer lately, finding the back of the net in six of his last seven games. Additionally, this game marked the 175th occasion in his two-decade career that he scored multiple goals, a feat only surpassed by Gretzky, who achieved it 189 times.
Other contributors to the Capitals’ offensive onslaught included Jakob Chychrun, Rasmus Sandin, Michael Sgarbossa, and Brandon Duhaime, all of whom added to the scoreline.
In goal, Logan Thompson, who was acquired from Vegas during the offseason, maintained his unbeaten record, improving to 7-0-0 for the season. He made 24 saves throughout the game.
Scott Perunovich registered the only goal for the Blues, while their goaltender, Jordan Binnington, was faced with 27 shots.
From the Capitals’ perspective, McMichael continued to shine with points in three straight games and six out of his last seven. He initiated the scoring just 59 seconds after the puck drop and later scored a power-play goal during the final period.
For the Blues, Perunovich marked a personal milestone by scoring his first career goal at 7:07 with a well-placed wrist shot from inside the slot, ending a long wait of 79 games.
A crucial moment during the match occurred in the second period when, despite the Blues outshooting the Capitals 11-4, they failed to capitalize, resulting in Washington extending their lead with two unanswered goals. Ovechkin’s ninth goal of the season came at 7:42, followed closely by Chychrun’s goal from the top of the slot at 10:53, pushing the score to 3-1.
Statistically, the Blues continued to struggle on the power play, going 0 for 3 in the game. They have yet to score in their last 13 power-play opportunities over the past five games, having only converted four out of 37 chances in 15 games this season.
Looking ahead, the Blues will conclude a five-game homestand on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. Meanwhile, the Capitals will prepare to host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.