Maple Leafs Triumph Over Capitals, Ovechkin Inches Towards Gretzky’s Record

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In an enticing display of sporting prowess, Auston Matthews celebrated his seventh round of the season. Meanwhile, the magnificence of Joseph Woll’s goalkeeping was made evident by his 36 saves; combined, their dynamism led the Toronto Maple Leafs to an assertive 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. The latter team, unfortunately, marked their fourth defeat in just five matches on Tuesday evening.

Alex Ovechkin, despite beginning the season goal-less, finally hit the puck into the net for the first time during the current season, marking the 823rd goal in his illustrious NHL career. With every goal, he etches closer to Wayne Gretzky’s unimpeachable record, now only 71 goals away. Ovechkin’s remarkable tally of 14 shots in a single game was unfortunately marred by a failed penalty shot.


In the face of Ovechkin’s relentless attempts, Woll couldn’t help but admire his rival’s skill. Acknowledging just how lethal a player Ovechkin can be, especially on power-play, Woll credited his team’s collective effort in restraining the determined player.

Regarding the penalty shot that occurred in the early stages of the second period, Woll was successful in denying Ovechkin the chance to score, bringing the Capitals’ leader to a career record of 2-out-of-13. This also led to Ovechkin tying for the most penalty shots in NHL history alongside Vinny Lecavalier. Ovechkin’s sole contribution to the scoreboard remained his power-play goal, which came a tad too late, particularly after his early goal was dismissed due to his interference with Woll.

For the Capitals, yet another defeat saw them plunge further into frustration, despite their only victory so far against Calgary. Notwithstanding the loss, Ovechkin remained optimistic and considered the defeats as part of the learning curve.

On the contrary side, for the Maple Leafs, Auston’s score was the first since his successive trifecta at the season’s start. Morgan Rielly, John Tavares, and William Nylander also added to the scorecard, lifting their team to their fourth victory in six games. Demonstrably, their impactful plays were highlighted by the elite Matthew’s goal – a deciding factor in the game’s outcome.

Rielly, the first to score this season among Maple Leaf’s defense, alongside Tavares and Nylander, extended their season-opening point streaks to six. Their cooperation on the field, filled with speed and flair, was nothing short of a sight to behold.

To wrap up the evening: Woll honored at being the 170th goaltender against whom Ovechkin scored, Ovechkin celebrating his 300th goal on power-play and becoming the scorer of the 3,000th goal in Capitals’ history, claiming 10% of the franchise’s total goals.

Now, the Maple Leafs are expected to make their fourth pit stop on their five-game road trip at the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Capitals’ goaltender, Hunter Shepard, is gearing up to make his NHL debut on Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils.