Capitals' Alex Ovechkin bids to climb scoring list vs. Flyers
Alex Ovechkin will be looking to move up another spot on the NHL's all-time career goals list on Saturday night.
One goal shy of tying for fourth on the all-time list, Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will face off against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers hoping to avoid a third straight defeat.
Ovechkin, 36, recorded his 10th goal of the season Thursday at Florida, and No. 740 for his career to move one behind Hall of Famer Brett Hull.
Ovechkin, who again ranks among the NHL scoring leaders with 18 points in 10 games, has totaled 42 goals in 63 career contests vs. Philadelphia, including at least one in six straight meetings.
Though Washington has won six of seven against the Flyers, it will need to regroup after suffering its first regulation loss of the season at Tampa Bay on Mondayb before falling 5-4 in overtime to the Panthers.
"We have to take a point anyway we can," Ovechkin told NHL.com.
That hasn't been a problem for the Capitals this season at home, where they've totaled 19 goals while going 3-0-3. They last earned at least one point in their first seven home games to open the 2008-09 season.
"It think it's been some of the best hockey we've played as a group in a while," said Washington's Tom Wilson, who scored his first goal of the 2021-22 on Thursday. "We feel the momentum. We feel guys battling for each other, and that's only going to make the team stronger as the hockey gets tougher and tougher."
Philadelphia is off to its own strong start with five wins and 12 points through nine games. However, the Flyers look to rebound from a 3-2 overtime loss at short-handed Pittsburgh on Thursday.
They've totaled seven goals in the last four games after recording 23 through the first five.
"I think we can do a little bit of a better job making it harder on other teams' goaltender and throwing different things at them," forward Scott Laughton, who has a goal in each of the last two games, told the league's official website.
Though the Flyers are looking for more offensive consistency, captain Claude Giroux (five goals, six assists) has a point in all but one game this season. However, he had just one goal and two assists in eight games vs. Washington in 2020-21.
Teammate Carter Hart (3-2-2, 2.41 goals-against average) made 33 saves against the Penguins. Backup Martin Jones has stopped 64 of 68 shots while winning his two starts this season.
Meanwhile, it's uncertain who will be in Washington's net after Thursday's scheduled starter Ilya Samsonov (3-0-1, 2.91 GAA) missed the first 1:45 of that game. He then came in, only to be pulled in the second period after allowing three goals on 18 shots.
The Capitals' Vitek Vanecek has a 3.74 GAA while going 0-1-2 in his last four games.
Philadelphia defenseman Ryan Ellis is slated to miss his seventh straight game with a lower-body injury.
--Field Level Media
