ST. PAUL, Minn. — Alex Ovechkin scored his league-leading 34th goal and had three assists, and Tom Wilson scored twice for the Washington Capitals in a 5-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
Ovechkin assisted on Wilson’s opening goal in the second period before adding his own in a building in which he’s had plenty of success for Washington. In eight career games in Minnesota, Ovechkin has 11 goals.
Andre Burakovsky and Nicklas Backstrom each had a goal and assist for the Capitals, who had lost four of their previous six games, including back-to-back overtime losses. Philip Grubauer made 32 saves.
Devan Dubnyk stopped 22 shots as the Wild’s franchise-record home points streak was snapped at 13 games. Nino Niederreiter scored his 100th NHL goal and Eric Staal added his 26th of the season in the third period for Minnesota.
Eight goals away from 600 for his career, Ovechkin has particularly tormented the Wild. In 14 career games against Minnesota, he has 15 goals and 10 assists and the Capitals are 10-3-1 in those games. He had a hat trick in each of his last two visits to the Wild’s Xcel Energy Center and has a point in 12 straight games against Minnesota.
Wilson scored his eighth goal of the season just 59 seconds into the second period when his wrist shot went through the legs of defenseman Jared Spurgeon and beat Dubnyk, who tried to swipe at the puck with his glove hand as it sailed under his arm.
It was the first time in nine home games that the Wild had trailed during regulation. Calgary scored the first two goals on Jan. 9 on the way to an overtime win.
Oveckhin ended up alone in front of Dubnyk for his goal less than five minutes later.
Minnesota scored twice in the third as it put up 18 shots on Grubauer, but Washington countered each time.
The Capitals play at Chicago on Saturday night.
The Wild host Anaheim on Saturday.
NOTES: Washington C Jay Beagle was in the lineup after being slashed in the ribs during Tuesday’s overtime loss in Winnipeg. . Minnesota scratched D Mike Reilly for the third time in five games along with F Chris Stewart. . Ovechkin has four goals and eight assists in his past seven games. . C Mikko Koivu played in his 900th NHL game, all with the Wild. He’s the franchise leader in games, points and assists.
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