The Winnipeg Jets can still hang with the best.
Playing without injured star forward Gabe Vilardi (upper-body) the Jets bounced back from losses to the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres this past week with a 3-2 overtime victory over the league-leading Washington Capitals.
On Tuesday, Alex Ovechkin scored his 889th career NHL goal, tying the game between the NHL's top two clubs with four minutes remaining.
Ovechkin's goal was the second deficit the Capitals were able to rally back from, coming back from 1-0 and 2-1 Jets leads as the visitors.
But it was Winnipeg's Nikolaj Ehlers who got the game-winner at 1:28 of the overtime period, improving the Jets to 49-19-4 on the season.
“That was a heavyweight battle right there," head coach Scott Arniel said post-game. "It really was. Even though one team’s from the East, one’s from the West, it was like we play each other eight times a year. There was a lot of trash talking going on, there were some big hits, there was a lot happening. Both teams recognized that they wanna be No. 1. It was a great game. Punch, counterpunch going on all night.”
Josh Morrissey and Mason Appleton got the other goals for Winnipeg, while Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 27 shots, helping the jets pull within one point of Washington and secure a place in the postseason.
Tuesday's game was the third-straight sellout of the season at Canada Life Centre, which saw the Jets improve to 26-6-4 at home.
Ovechkin, much like everyone else in attendance referred to it as a playoff-like game.
"I will say it was a playoff game-like, the physicality was there as well. It was a good one," he said post-game.
Morrissey opened the scoring for Winnipeg on a heavy slap shot 6:50 into the first period. Dylan DeMelo got the puck up to Mark Scheifele, who teed it up for his fellow alternate captain. Morrissey stepped into the puck, which deflected off a Washington player and int the net.
Alex Iafallo - who was called up from the fourth line to fill in for the injured Gabe Vilardi - caused problems in front of the net, contributing to Morrissey's 12th of the season.
Washington got one back late in the first period, with Andrew Mangiapane beating Hellebuyck high, blocker-side on a three-on-two up-ice. Winnipeg led 8-6 on the shot chart through 20 minutes of 1-1 hockey.
The Jets killed off back-to-back penalties to Cole Perfetti and Luke Schenn in the second period, keeping the always-potent Alex Ovechkin and power play off the board. Shortly after a man advantage of their own expired, Winnipeg restored its lead.
Nino Niederreiter found Appleton speeding up the wing, who put wrist shot through Logan Thompson with just 10.4 seconds to play, handing the Jets a 2-1 lead with 20 minutes to play.
Winnipeg failed to find the twine on a third period power play, keeping the door open for a Washington comeback.
That was all Ovechkin needed - a glimmer of hope. He struck off a play from Alaiksei Protas, and from the offensive zone face-off dot, he has been nearly unstoppable. The strike now puts him six goals from a new NHL record.
“It is what it is, you know," Ovechkin said of his chase for Wayne Gretzky's record. "It’s a fun time, obviously. You just have to enjoy it. It’s a special moment. Everybody is watching, everybody is paying attention to it.”
The goal sent the game to overtime, to which the Capitals hit the post in the early going.
But it was a stretch pass from Dylan Samberg that found Ehlers flying up the wing. He ripped home his 24th of the season, sealing the deal on the Jets' 49th win of the season.
Hellebuyck turned aside 27 of the 29 shots he faced, collecting his 41st win of the season, while Thompson, the former Brandon Wheat King star, made 22 stops for Washington.
Next up for the Jets is the third test of the four-game homestand on Friday night, as the New Jersey Devils roll into town for a 7:00 PM central showdown. Vancouver makes its way back to Manitoba on Sunday afternoon to close out the homestand.
