Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin Scores Game Winner In Return Vs. Islanders

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin made his return in Thursday night’s game against the New York Islanders, after serving a one-game suspension for skipping the All-Star Game due to an injury.

Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin Scores Game Winner In Return Vs. Islanders

Ovechkin led the Capitals by scoring the game-winning goal, his 29th of the season, in their 3-2 home victory over the Islanders. The left winger scored on a one-timer with 2:40 left. Goalie Braden Holtby also made several key saves on a late penalty kill.

“Obviously it feels a little bit hard in the first period,” Ovechkin said. “Practicing is one thing, but when you’re playing, it’s a totally different thing, a different level. It was a little bit hard, but at the end, I just kept rolling and we did our job.”

Neither of the two players had participated in a regular-season game in over a week because of the All-Star Game. Holtby got a rest Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. T.J. Oshie and Andre Burakovsky scored the first two goals for Washington, who still hasn’t lost consecutive games in regulation, which Ovechkin credited to the team’s mentality.

The Capitals have now improved to 36-9-4 overall and 19-4-2 at home. They will next visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Caption: WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 10: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals shoots and scores his 500th career NHL goal in the second period against the Ottawa Senators at the Verizon Center on January 10, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)