In Toronto, Alex Ovechkin marked his return to the ice by scoring an empty-net goal as the Washington Capitals defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday. This game was Ovechkin’s first appearance since suffering a fractured left fibula on November 18. The Capitals, buoyed by goals from Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun, Nic Dowd, and Tom Wilson, managed a strong display against the Leafs. John Tavares and Bobby McMann scored for Toronto.
Ovechkin, Washington’s captain, contributed to the team’s success by netting his 869th career goal, edging closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record of 894 goals. Despite being held without a goal until his late contribution, Ovechkin logged 15 minutes of ice time, three hits, and three shots.
Toronto struck first with Tavares redirecting a shot from Simon Benoit past Washington’s goaltender Logan Thompson early in the opening period. However, Mangiapane restored parity for Washington just moments later.
In the second period, the Capitals took the lead through Chychrun, though McMann quickly leveled the score for the Leafs after taking a pass from Max Domi. Dowd then put the Capitals ahead with a go-ahead goal, and Wilson sealed the win by deflecting a Chychrun shot during a power play in the third period.
Throughout the game, Thompson was impressive in goal, making 35 saves, including several crucial stops against Toronto’s William Nylander and Mitch Marner. Matt Murray recorded 27 saves for the Leafs.
Toronto is now struggling with the absence of Auston Matthews, having lost three of four games and conceding a significant number of goals. The Leafs will next host the New York Islanders. Washington, showing resilience in Ovechkin’s absence with a 10-5-1 record, will visit the Detroit Red Wings.
