Alex Ovechkin scored two goals one night after notching a hat trick, and the visiting Washington Capitals beat the Utah Hockey Club 6-2 in Salt Lake City to complete a sweep of their three-game road trip.
Ovechkin left the game in the third period after a leg-on-leg collision with Utah’s Jack McBain.
Dylan Strome and Brandon Duhaime each had a goal and an assist for Washington, and Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves.
Ovechkin has 15 goals in 18 games this season and is within 27 of surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals.
McBain and Nick Bjugstad scored for Utah, which has lost three of four. Connor Ingram allowed four goals in 13 shots before being lifted for Karel Vejmelka in the second period.
Washington was 1-for-3 on the power play; Utah was 0-for-7.
McBain gave Utah a 1-0 lead at 3:05 of the first period, knocking in the rebound after Lindgren blocked Kevin Stenlund’s shot from the point.
Strome tied it at 7:46 when he took advantage of a turnover in the Utah zone, skated behind the goal line and banked the puck in off Ingram.
Nic Dowd gave Washington a 2-1 lead 10 seconds later. Washington controlled the faceoff after Strome’s goal and Duhaime carried the puck into the Utah zone before passing in front where Dowd knocked it in.
Ovechkin made it 3-1 at 11:05, scoring on a wrist shot from the slot just after a Capitals power play ended.
Ovechkin increased the lead to 4-1 at 5:38 of the second period, scoring on a one-timer from the top of the left circle on a power play.
It gave Ovechkin goals in five consecutive periods and was the fifth time he has scored multiple goals on consecutive days. Ovechkin also hit a couple more milestones with his two goals:
According to the Capitals’ PR staff, he tied Jaromir Jagr for the most goalies scored upon in NHL history when he made Ingram his 178th victim, and according to NHL.com he is the first player in history with 100 career multi-goal road games.
Bjugstad pulled Utah within 4-2 at 11:44 when he knocked in the rebound of Nick Schmaltz’s shot.
Duhaime made it 5-2 at 7:30 of the third period, skating down the left side and lifting a shot over Ingram’s shoulder; and Aliaksei Protas scored at 9:56 for the 6-2 final.
