By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: The Washington Post
The Great Eight returns to the ice. After missing the last 16 games, Alex Ovechkin is back and helped the Washington Capitals defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday.
The 16-game absence was the most extended consecutive absence of Ovechkin’s career.
Ovechkin scored in an empty net for the 5-2 final. It was the 869th goal of Ovechkin’s NHL career, bringing him within 26 of passing Wayne Gretzky’s 894th goal for the NHL record.
The Capitals went 10-5-1 without Ovechkin due to him fracturing his fibula.
Ovechkin played 15 minutes and recorded three hits and three shots.
Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun, and Nic Dowd scored goals for the Capitals. Tom Wilson scored on a power play goal. It’s his 14th goal of the season.
Goaltender Logan Thompson made 35 saves.
John Taveras scored his 18th goal of the season. Bobby McMann tied the game at 2 in the second period. Goaltender Matt Murray made 27 saves for the Maple Leafs.
The Capitals regained momentum late in the second period and then pulled away in the third period when they scored two more goals.
Ovechkin’s goal was his 60th career empty net goal, the most in NHL history.
The Capitals visit the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, and the Maple Leafs host the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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