Shanahan’s Slip Leads to Capitals’ Overtime Winner
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WASHINGTON—With Alex Ovechkin on one side and Jaromir Jagr on the other, no one expected Mike Green and Joe Motzko to steal the show.
Green scored 3:41 into overtime after posting two assists in regulation, Motzko had his first two goals of the season, and the Washington Capitals beat the Rangers 5–4 last night.
The winning goal came after New York’s Brendan Shanahan stumbled and fell to the ice in the Capitals zone, allowing Brooks Laich to steal the puck and head the other way on an odd-man rush. Laich passed to Green, and the defenseman put the puck past goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
That blunder ruined a good night for Shanahan, who had a goal and two assists. Martin Straka scored twice for New York, and Jagr had an assist.
It was quite a display of offense from two of the four lowest-scoring teams in the 30-club NHL, and the result gave Washington its first three-game home winning streak. The last-in-the-league Capitals also have won four of five overall.
Ovechkin scored his 22nd goal, and enforcer Donald Brashear added his first two assists this season.
Green entered this season with three goals in 92 NHL games, but he’s now up to eight — second to Ovechkin on the Capitals.
And how anonymous is Motzko, who owned one career NHL goal entering the game? Even the Capitals media guide lists incorrect information for his date and place of birth (for the record: He was born March 14, 1980, in Bemidji, Minn.).
The Rangers led 2–0, but Washington evened things on Motzko’s goals. Ovechkin put the Capitals ahead 3-2 about 41/2 minutes into the third period, before Straka’s second goal of the game tied it again. Jeff Schultz gave Washington another lead by scoring in a third consecutive game, and Shanahan pulled New York even about 3 minutes later.
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SABRES 5, ISLANDERS 3 Ales Kotalik had a goal and assist, Ryan Miller made 28 saves, and the Buffalo Sabres scored three goals in the second period to beat the Islanders 5–3 last night.
Nolan Pratt, Toni Lydman, Derek Roy and Jochen Hecht also scored for the Sabres, who have won two of three. Buffalo beat the Islanders for the first time in three meetings this season.
