Alex Ovechkin Scores No. 873 as Predators Lose 4-1 to Capitals

The Nashville Predators had a 32-16 shot advantage but allowed the Washington Capitals pulled away in the third period in a 4-1 loss Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.

How the Predators lined up vs. Washington

Forsberg-Stamkos-Marchessault
Hinostroza-O’Reilly-Nyquist
Novak-Svechkov-L’Heureux
Jankowski-McCarron-Sissons

Josi-Barron
Skjei-Blankenburg
Stastney-Schenn

Saros
Annunen

Extra: Evangelista (inj.), Bellows

IR: Smith, Wilsby, Lauzon

Forward Zachary L’Heureux returned to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension for slew-footing Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon Dec. 31.

Forward Luke Evangelista was injured during Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets and is expected to be out four weeks. Forward Cole Smith and defensemen Jeremy Lauzon and Adam Wilsby remain on IR.

Game Summary

After a scoreless first period that featured strong forechecking by the Predators, the teams traded power play goals in the second. At the 9:03 mark, with Roman Josi in the box for hooking, Tom Wilson slid the puck past Juuse Saros’ far pad to give Washington a 1-0 lead.

Filip Forsberg had the answer for Nashville at 16:14, carrying the puck down the right side and firing a shot over Logan Thompson’s left shoulder while Taylor Raddysh sat for holding.

Ethen Frank broke the tie with his first NHL goal at 8:30 of the third period, burying a stretch pass from Matt Roy to put Washington back on top, 2-1. The Capitals pulled away with a backhand shot from Andrew Mangiapane that squirted through Saros’ pads to extend the lead to 3-1.

With Saros pulled for the extra attacker, Ovechkin scored into the empty net in the final minute of regulation for the 4-1 final.

Key Takeaways & Notes

Forsberg, who snapped his 18-game goal drought Tuesday vs. Winnipeg, now has goals in two consecutive games.
With an assist on Forsberg’s goal, Marchessault now has 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists) in his last 14 games.
Ovechkin is 22 goals shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record (894). His empty-netter at 19:01 of the third period was his 20th of the season, making him the second player in NHL history to score at least 20 goals in 20 straight seasons (Gordie Howe, 22 seasons).

Up Next

The Predators continue their five-game homestand Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The puck drops at 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast regionally on FanDuel Sports Network South and on ESPN+ for out-of-market customers in the United States.

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