Miles Wood scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period to fuel the visiting Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
Offensive-minded defenseman Cale Makar skated around the upper edge of the left circle before unleashing a shot that was deflected home by Wood at 3:29 of the third period. The goal was Wood’s second of the season.
The Thursday loss wasn’t the only bad news for the Capitals, who announced prior to the game that superstar captain Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss four to six weeks due to a fracture to his left fibula. The three-time Hart Trophy recipient (MVP) sustained the injury during Washington’s 6-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Monday.
Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen scored on a power play in the second period, his team-leading 13th goal of the season and ninth in his last eight games. Alexandar Georgiev made 30 saves in his return from a two-game absence caused by to an upper-body injury.
That proved to be enough for the Avalanche to record their fifth win in six games and avenge a 5-2 setback to the Capitals on Nov. 15 in Denver.
Washington’s Pierre-Luc Dubois scored a goal in the first period.
Logan Thompson turned aside 25 shots to fall to 8-1-1 in his first season with the Capitals.
Tom Wilson’s hard pass from just above the goal line found the trailing Dubois in front of the net for an easy conversion to open the scoring. The goal with 2:56 remaining in the first period was just Dubois’ second of the season.
Thompson flashed his glove to thwart Makar from point-blank range to preserve Washington’s 1-0 lead midway into the second period.
Rantanen’s attempted backhand cross-crease pass to Nathan MacKinnon caromed off the skate of Washington defenseman Matt Roy and into the net to forge a 1-1 tie with 5:41 remaining in the second period.
Connor McMichael, who scored two goals in the previous meeting against Colorado, was denied in his bid on a breakaway to snap the tie just over two minutes later.
–Field Level Media