WASHINGTON – In a thrilling matchup on Thursday night, the Minnesota Wild triumphed over the Washington Capitals, coming from behind to secure a 4-3 victory. The highlights of the game included Marco Rossi’s late-game tying goal and Matt Boldy’s shootout winner, while Capitals’ star Alex Ovechkin edged closer to the historic NHL career goals record held by Wayne Gretzky.

Rossi’s crucial goal came at the 8:41 mark in the third period, just moments after a potential goal from Washington’s Tom Wilson was overturned due to a high-sticking violation. Boldy, who stepped up in the shootout, scored the only goal, sealing the win for his team.

This victory marked the Wild’s first game without their injured captain Jared Spurgeon, expected to be sidelined for 2-3 weeks due to an injury sustained earlier in the week. The Wild have shown resilience in his absence. Yakov Trenin found the net while short-handed, Ryan Hartman scored his first goal since mid-November, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury played a key role with 28 saves throughout regulation and overtime. This win improved Minnesota’s record to 3-1 without their leading scorer, Kirill Kaprizov.

For the Capitals, Ovechkin added another milestone to his career by scoring his 871st goal against Fleury, having put the puck past him 28 times in their matchups spanning two decades. The Capitals also saw goals from Wilson and Martin Fehervary. Although goaltender Lindgren achieved 30 saves, he misplayed the puck, allowing Trenin to score.

TAKEAWAYS:
Wild: Despite missing key players like Spurgeon and Kaprizov, the team has demonstrated its ability to adapt and secure victories, as coach John Hynes commented about the importance of finding ways to win even when key players are unavailable.
Capitals: Despite a strong performance, the team struggled to regain momentum after Wilson’s disallowed goal, which led directly to Rossi’s equalizer.

KEY MOMENT:
An essential play came when Fleury halted a crucial shot from Ovechkin during the shootout, adding to the thrill of ending his final game in Washington on a victorious note.

KEY STAT:
The Capitals just played their first shootout of the season, happening in their 38th game.

LOOKING AHEAD:
The Capitals are set to host the New York Rangers on Saturday, while the Wild will take on the Carolina Hurricanes that same night.