WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his 787th goal to pass Gordie Howe for the most with one team in NHL history, but the Washington Capitals lost 3-2 to the Arizona Coyotes at Capital One Arena on Saturday.
Nick Ritchie scored his second goal of the game, and Arizona’s third straight in the third period, with 35.4 seconds remaining to make it 3-2. He reached over the defenseman Erik Gustafsson and knocked in a loose puck in the crease after Barrett Hayton‘s initial shot on a 3-on-2 trickled behind Darcy Kuemper.
“It’s tough to push the big boy. He can stay in there,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. “He had a really good third period. His intensity, his battle level. He did a good job.”
Video: ARI@WSH: Ritchie slips a puck in behind Kuemper
Josh Brown also scored, Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists, and Karel Vejmelka made 34 saves for the Coyotes (4-6-1), who were beginning a stretch of 14 consecutive road games.
“It started with being physical. Some guys were kind of running around a little bit, and we had some big hits to turn the momentum,” Brown said. “And then just getting pucks to the net. Sometimes we were trying to hold on, trying to make the extra play.”
Anthony Mantha had a goal and an assist, and Kuemper made 23 saves for the Capitals (5-6-2), who have lost four straight (0-2-2).
“It has kind of been the same story for the last four games,” Washington coach Peter Laviolette said. “We have not been scoring a lot of goals, so if you are not scoring a lot of goals, you have got to pay attention to defense, and it needed to be better in the third.”
Video: ARI@WSH: Ritchie fires a shot that goes down the bar
Ovechkin put the Capitals ahead 1-0 at 8:55 of the second period, beating Vejmelka blocker side with a one-timer from a pass off the left circle. Trevor van Riemsdyk on a power play.
“Obviously, it’s a huge moment. The last couple games it was big milestones and, unfortunately, we didn’t get the win,” Ovechkin said. “But it’s a special moment, and it’s nice to have both my kids, my wife, all the fans (here). My parents watched in Moscow.”
Mantha made it 2-0 at 3:23 of the third period with a spinning backhand in front after Gostisbehere’s clearing attempt ricocheted off his skate. Dysin Mayo.
Brown pulled the Coyotes to within 2-1 at 6:33 when he scored on a rebound in front.
“It was a simple play, but it’s something we don’t do enough,” Tourigny said. “Just putting pucks at the net and throwing bodies at the net. [Gostisbehere] put the puck at the net, and ‘Brownie’ found the rebound.”
Video: ARI@WSH: Brown scores in 3rd period
Ritchie tied it 2-2 at 9:45 with a one-timer from just above the right circle under the crossbar.
“We need to finish games. We need to play 60 (minutes). Right now, obviously, we’re not doing it,” Mantha said. “We get the lead, we’re working hard to get the lead, and they score one and we’re kind of on our heels, and we just let ourselves get maybe outshot or something at the end of the period.”
NOTES: Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov left the game with a lower-body injury in the first period. He was still being evaluated postgame. … Capitals forward Sonny Milano, who was recalled from Hershey of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, had three shots and four hits in 13:20 of ice time in his Capitals debut. … Vejmelka was the 162nd different goaltender Ovechkin has scored on in his NHL career. Only Jaromir Jagr (178), Patrick Marleau (177) and Mark Messier (164) have scored more in NHL history.
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