The Washington Capitals recorded a 1-0 victory on Thursday, thanks to a goal from their captain Alexander Ovechkin in overtime against the Senators in Ottawa.
Senators rookie goaltender Leevi Merilainen was beaten by Ovechkin, spoiling his 27-save performance.
His opposite number with the Capitals, Logan Thompson, also had a good game in net. He signed a shutout after making 25 saves.
Ovechkin, who played heroic after accepting a pass from Rasmus Sandin, continued his quest to overtake Wayne Gretzky as the top scorer in National Hockey League (NHL) history.
The Russian now has 874 goals in his career, 20 fewer than the legendary no. 99.
Neither team allowed many scoring chances during the game and when one did present itself, both goalkeepers made key saves.
Merilainen wasn’t particularly busy in the first 40 minutes, but he was outstanding in the third period when the Capitals (30-10-5) stepped on the gas. An overtime save against Tom Wilson prompted the Ottawa crowd to chant his name.
-Capitals forward Andrew Mangiapane had a great chance to score on the power play in the third period, but he was unable to beat Merilainen.
The Senators (22-18-4) have been shut out on three power plays and have scored just two goals in 15 power plays in their last five games.
Defenseman Donovan Sebrango, a native of Ottawa, made his NHL debut for the Senators. He performed in front of a large contingent of family and friends.
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