VANCOUVER B次元官网网址� Alex Ovechkin scored two goals and set up two more to lead the Washington Capitals to a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.
The defending Stanley Cup champions also got goals from John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov, while T.J. Oshie scored an empty netter.
Defenceman Troy Stecher and Sven Baertschi responded for the Canucks (5-4-0).
Braden Holtby stopped 22-of-24 shots for Washington (4-2-2), while Vancouver goalie Anders Nilsson turned away 28 of 33.
The Capitals were first on the scoreboard, notching a goal during four-on-four play 2:20 into the game.
Jakub Vrana got a pass off to Carlson as the defenceman streaked back from WashingtonB次元官网网址檚 end. Carlson then tipped a shot past Nilsson with the puck clinking off the post on the way in.
The Canucks drew even midway through the second, with Stecher winding up and taking a shot from the blue line. WashingtonB次元官网网址檚 Nic Dowd tried to glove the puck out of harmB次元官网网址檚 way but redirected it into his own net.
The goal was StecherB次元官网网址檚 first of the season.
Selling 馃嵒 and catching pucks. Talent at its finest, folks. 馃槀馃ぃ
B次元官网网址� NHL (@NHL)
Less than two minutes later, Vancouver defenceman Erik Gudbranson was sent to the penalty box for cross checking, giving the Capitals a man advantage.
Washington went into the game 10-for-26 on the power play and they showed why on Monday.
After a series of quick, crisp passes, Kuznetsov took a slapshot that sailed in past Nilsson.
All five of the Russian centremanB次元官网网址檚 goals this season have come on the power play.
WashingtonB次元官网网址檚 stars struck again with less than 30 seconds to go in the period. The top line peppered Nilsson with shots and the Canucks goalie managed to stop a blast from Nicklas Backstom, but couldnB次元官网网址檛 contain the rebound.
The puck bounced off Ovechkin and into the Vancouver net, putting the Capitals up 3-1.
But Vancouver refused to quit.
RELATED:
The Canucks started the third period on a power play and right winger Brock Boeser fired a hard shot on Holtby seconds into the frame. The puck bounced off the goalieB次元官网网址檚 pads and on to BaertschiB次元官网网址檚 stick.
Holtby didnB次元官网网址檛 have time to reset before Baertschi fired a rocket past him for his third goal of the year.
Five minutes later, Ovechkin scored his second goal of the night on another Washington power play.
The CapitalsB次元官网网址� captain now has eight goals in eight games.
Oshie finished up the game with less than two minutes to go, putting the puck into VancouverB次元官网网址檚 empty net on an Ovechkin pass.
The Canucks begin a two-game road swing in Vegas Wednesday before playing the Coyotes in Phoenix on Thursday.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
