Yaroslav Askarov made 27 saves and also stopped both shootout attempts he faced as the Nashville Predators snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the host Washington Capitals on Saturday night.
Askarov, the 11th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft who was making his second career start and third career appearance, picked up his first NHL win.
Nashville’s Luke Evangelista and Roman Josi scored in regulation before Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O’Reilly converted their attempts in the shootout.
Alex Ovechkin and Beck Malenstyn scored for Washington, which lost its fourth straight game (0-2-2).
It was the 829th career goal for Ovechkin, second only to Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894.
Washington goalie Hunter Shepard, recalled from the Hershey Bears of the AHL after Charlie Lindgren left the Capitals’ loss to the New York Islanders on Friday with an upper-body injury, made 34 saves.
Washington went first in the shootout and Askarov made a stick save on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s try. After Nyquist roofed his attempt to give the Predators the lead, Ovechkin’s five-hole try was stopped by Askarov. O’Reilly then followed with the game-winner when he snapped a wrist shot into the top left corner.
Nashville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first seven minutes of the game.
Evangelista got the first goal at the 2:44 mark when he put in the rebound of a Dante Fabbro shot for his fifth goal. Josi followed at the 6:55 mark with a power-play goal, slinging a wrist shot from above the circles through traffic and past Shepard’s blocker side.
Washington cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the first period on Malenstyn’s rebound goal off a Nic Dowd shot.
The Capitals tied it at the 14:59 mark of the second period on a trademark one-timer by Ovechkin from the left circle right after a power play had expired. It was the seventh goal of the season for Ovechkin and his second in the last 19 games.
Askarov became the 171st different goalie Ovechkin has scored against in his career.
Washington appeared to win it with 59.5 seconds left in regulation when Ovechkin scored on a delayed penalty with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle. However, the goal was waved off after a review initiated by the Situation Room in Toronto for goalie interference by Dowd.
–Field Level Media
