Rookie Ryan Leonard recorded his first career two-goal game to fuel the host Washington Capitals to a 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Superstar captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 904th career goal to help his Capitals improve to 9-4-2 in 15 all-time meetings against fellow three-time Hart Trophy recipient Connor McDavid and the Oilers.
Aliaksei Protas and Anthony Beauvillier also tallied and Tom Wilson added a pair of empty-net goals for Washington, which recorded back-to-back wins for the first time since Oct. 21-24.
Connor McMichael and defenseman John Carlson each had three assists and Logan Thompson made 26 saves for the Capitals.
Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse scored two goals in the first period and David Tomasek and Leon Draisaitl each tallied in the third.
McDavid notched two assists and Stuart Skinner turned aside 14 shots for the Oilers, who have lost six of their last nine games (3-5-1).
Protas alertly tapped home a loose puck to open the scoring before Ovechkin doubled the advantage at 6:04 of the first period after deflecting defenseman Jakob Chychrun’s shot from the point. Ovechkin’s goal was the 480th of his career (regular season and playoffs) at Capital One Arena, tying Hall of Famer Gordie Howe (480 at Detroit Olympia) for the most at a single venue in NHL history.
Nurse converted a blast from the point 61 seconds later before Leonard regained Washington’s two-goal edge by skating through the slot and beating Skinner to snap a 12-game goal drought.
Nurse brought the Oilers back within a goal under two minutes later after sending a drive from above the left circle that handcuffed Thompson.
Leonard used his body to fend off Edmonton defenseman Evan Bouchard before going from forehand to backhand to beat Skinner and extend the Capitals’ lead to 4-2 at 11:49 of the second period.
Tomasek converted from the doorstep at 2:41 of the third period and Draisaitl answered Beauvillier’s goal with a power-play tally at 7:47.
–Field Level Media
