Capitals 3, Coyotes 2
WASHINGTON -- Left winger Alex Ovechkin and center Mike Richards scored third-period goals 26 seconds apart, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 Monday night for their fourth straight win.
Ovechkin broke a 1-1 tie at 8:17 of the third when his wrister from the left circle beat Arizona goalie Louis Domingue to the short side. It was the 39th of the season and 10th in the past eight games for the NHL goal-scoring leader, who added an assist.
Richards scored his first goal as a member of the Capitals in his 15th game at 8:43. Right winger Tom Wilson shot on Domingue, then poked the puck free as the goalie attempted to cover it up. After Richards banged the loose puck home, Domingue slammed his stick on the crossbar as a scrum broke out behind the net. The play withstood a coach's challenge.
Defenseman Connor Murphy pulled Arizona within 3-2 when he beat goalie Braden Holtby at 9:43, but the Coyotes couldn't get the equalizer and dropped the opener of a five-game East Coast swing.
Center Evgeny Kuznetsov notched his 18th goal of the season and an assist for Washington (44-10-4), which has won nine of 10 overall and is 17-1-1 in its last 19 home games.
Holtby had 25 saves.
Domingue stopped 31 shots, and defenseman Kevin Connauton scored the other goal for Arizona, which has lost four straight road games.
With 60 points, the Coyotes began play five shy of the Nashville Predators for the second Western Conference wild-card berth.
Arizona scored 16 goals in its previous three games, but the Coyotes couldn't beat Holtby in the scoreless first period despite a total of five minutes with the man-advantage.
The Coyotes took a 1-0 lead just 3:25 into the second period when Connauton, the trailer on a three-on-two break, beat Holtby high on his glove side from the slot.
An Arizona penalty about a minute later swung the momentum.
With center Martin Hanzal off for slashing, Kuznetsov fired from the right circle through a screen. Domingue got a piece of the puck, but it deflected off his arm and trickled in to make 1-1.
NOTES: Arizona D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who left Saturday's loss to the Blues with a lower-body injury, was back in the lineup. ... The Coyotes scratched C Tyler Gaudet and D Klas Dahlbeck. ... Capitals C Marcus Johansson (illness) was scratched, and C Mike Richards replaced him on the third line. D Taylor Chorney was also a scratch. ... Washington came in with 90 points, the most through the first 57 games since Philadelphia had 91 points in 1979-80. ... With the NHL trade deadline one week away, scouts from the Bruins, Blackhawks, Stars, Canadiens, Senators, Flyers and Sharks were listed on the Verizon Center press box seating chart.