POSTGAME NOTEBOOK: Caps 3, Avs 2

Get Out Of Denver -For the sixth time in their last seven visits to Colorado, the Caps got out of Denver with two points. Monday's 3-2 win over the Avs was a highly physical, entertaining and hard-fought contest, and the Capitals delivered one of their most complete efforts of the season, a day after clinching their eighth consecutive playoff berth on an off day in Denver.

Washington elevated its game in the Mile High City, bringing attitude to the altitude and becoming the first Eastern Conference team to win in regulation at Ball Arena in more than two years, since the Buffalo Sabres skated off with a 3-2 win here on Feb. 26, 2020. Colorado entered Monday's game with a 29-2-2 mark in its last 33 home games, and the Columbus Blue Jackets' 5-4 overtime win here way back on Nov. 3 was the Avalanche's only prior blemish against Eastern opposition in Colorado this season.
The Capitals limited the Avalanche to 26 shots on net, the first time in 14 games the Avs had been limited to fewer than 30 shots and the first time in 19 times they've been held as low as 26 shots on a given night.
"It just felt like we didn't really get much generated tonight in the [offensive] zone," says Colorado defenseman Cale Makar. "And when we were getting it up at the point, we weren't getting shots through and they were doing a good job of staying in lanes. But for us on the back end, the forwards were doing a pretty good job of getting to the net after they got it to us, and we just weren't getting it there.
"So, kudos to them, they did a good job of boxing us out. Going into the third period, we knew it was going to be tough and it's another test, another challenge that's just going to be beneficial for us moving down the line."
The Caps scored first and never trailed. Twice the Avs came back to pull even, and it was a swipe from Conor Sheary and a snipe from Marcus Johansson midway through the third period that manufactured the game-winner for the Capitals.
Washington blocked 23 Colorado shot attempts, tied for its second-highest total of blocked shots in a game this season. Monday's loss ended the Avalanche's nine-game winning streak; Colorado entered the game with a 14-1-1 record in its previous 16 games.
Following the game, Avs coach Jared Bednar's thoughts on the contest illustrated some areas where the Caps excelled.
"I thought we played hard, we competed hard, it was a physical game," says Bednar. "It was intense, and I thought our team played with the same intensity and physicality that they played with, maybe not right at the start of the game. And then we got dragged into it and responded, so I really liked that. I liked our competitiveness.
"I didn't like our execution. Give them some credit; they put some pressure on us and they were above outlets and whatnot, but we had a turnover on goal one [by Washington] and we had a turnover going backwards on goal three. And it took away a little bit of our offensive output tonight. We broke 'em down a couple of times, got into some really good scoring areas, took a little bit too long to shoot the puck and they get sticks on them, deflect them off the net. We missed executing in scoring areas.
"And then even on our side of the ice, some of the neutral zone regroups we just weren't as clean as what we could have been, and so we didn't have the puck enough in my opinion. We didn't get on the attack enough. But it was a hard-fought game. Some of those games, you've got to just grind through it. They're checking you hard, they're not giving you a lot of space, they had really good sticks, and you've just got to find a way to get enough to win. And that's the way that game was going. And we just couldn't do it. We had the turnover that ended up being the difference."
The Great Eight Update - Ovechkin's power-play goal in the second period of Monday's game was his 48th goal of the season, tying him with Teemu Selanne for the most goals ever scored in a season by a player aged 36 or older. Selanne scored 48 goals for Anaheim in 2006-07, and Ovechkin has matched his total with five games remaining.
Additionally, Ovechkin's goal was the 10th of his career against the Colorado franchise, the 28th different franchise against which he has scored 10 or more goals. That ties him with three other players for the NHL record; Brendan Shanahan, Marian Hossa and current Colorado GM Joe Sakic each had 10 or more goals against 28 different franchises.
Ovechkin has nine career goals against Arizona, where the Caps visit on Friday in the finale of their five-game road journey. If Ovechkin can manage to score a goal against the Coyotes in that game, he will have the record to himself.
Century City - One game after his former podcast mate and longtime linemate Nic Dowd recorded his 100th career NHL point in Montreal, Hathaway followed suit on Monday against the Avalanche.
With his career high 14th goal of the season at 4:02 of the first period against Colorado, Hathaway hit the 100-point mark (45 goals, 55 assists) for his career, doing so in his 367th career game. On Saturday night in Montreal, Dowd reached the century mark in the same fashion, by scoring the game's first goal in the first period. Dowd also had 45 goals and 55 assists at that juncture, but he got there in his 364th career game, and added an assist later in the contest.
Seven Straight -With an assist on Ovechkin's power-play goal in the second period, John Carlson extended his point streak to seven straight games (four goals, nine assists). It's Carlson's longest point streak of the season, and it's two games shy of his personal best.
Carlson had a nine-game point streak early in the 2019-20 season, rolling up five goals and 13 assists over nine games from Oct. 8-24, 2019.
Seen Your Video - Colorado's Artturi Lehkonen tied the game at 2-2 at 8:13 of the third period, scoring on a goalmouth scramble by punching at Samsonov's pads with his stick. Washington issued an unsuccessful coach's challenge on the play, alleging goaltender interference by Lehkonen.
Here is how the NHL's Situation Room saw it, from an email sent to media covering the game:
Explanation:
Video review confirmed no goaltender interference occurred as Artturi Lehkonen was making a play on the loose puck in the crease. The decision was made in accordance with Rule 69.7 which states, in part, the goal on the ice should have been allowed because "in a rebound situation, or where a goalkeeper and attacking player(s) are simultaneously attempting to play a loose puck, whether inside or outside the crease, incidental contact will be permitted, and any goal that is scored as a result thereof will be allowed." [Emphasis is NHL Situation Room's.]
As you might expect, Caps coach Peter Laviolette disagreed with the ruling.
"There's not a lot of answers on the ice," says Laviolette. "They come over and communicate, but basically saying that they said that the puck was loose, which we knew it was loose. Our point was that they took their stick and speared it right into our goalie and pushed him in the crease. We disagree with the call."
By The Numbers - With a helper on Hathaway's goal, Johan Larsson extended his assist streak to four straight games. Larsson also has a career high 14 assists this season … Carlson led the Caps with 24:12 in ice time, and he led Washington with nine shot attempts … Ovechkin led the Caps with four shots on net and six hits … Justin Schultz and Trevor van Riemsdyk each blocked four shots to lead the Capitals … Evgeny Kuznetsov won six of nine face-offs (67 percent).