Ovechkin scores in OT as Capitals come back to beat Leafs
WASHINGTON — A back-and-forth, high-scoring contest with the upstart Toronto Maple Leafs was a shot of life for the Washington Capitals, who showed they can still win games like in the good ol’ days.
Alex Ovechkin scored 22 seconds into overtime as the Capitals won a 6-5 thriller for their third consecutive victory while snapping the Maple Leafs’ winning streak at five. Nine different players had points for the Capitals, led by four from Evgeny Kuznetsov and three from Justin Williams.
“It was fun,” said Williams, who scored his 10th goal of the season and added two assists. “We felt like we needed a little excitement in here. I think we just kind of willed our way to that win. It was fun and exciting for everybody.”
The coaches weren’t entertained. Neither Washington’s Barry Trotz nor Toronto’s Mike Babcock was pleased with his team’s fundamentals, even if the entertainment factor was off the charts.