Ovechkin extends goal streak to 6 in Capitals loss to Avalanche

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored in his sixth straight game for the Washington Capitals in a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Capital One Arena on Tuesday.

Ovechkin pulled the Capitals to within 4-3 at 9:00 of the third period, scoring on a one-timer from the top of the left circle on a power play.

“Another night where he scores on the power play,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “That’s a big goal. Gets us right back into it, so that is a positive for team, to be able to give us a fighting chance.”

Artturi Lehkonen had two goals and two assists for the Avalanche (33-17-4), who ended an 0-3-1 skid. Mikko Rantanen, Ross Colton and Miles Wood each had a goal and an assist, and Alexandar Georgiev made 24 saves.

“It wasn’t the perfect game, but often times coming out of when you’re playing not great, it isn’t,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “You just need a big effort, and you need to pay attention to the right things and you’ve got to grind. You’ve got to work and grind. That’s what we did tonight.”

Charlie Lindgren made 31 saves, and Anthony Mantha had two assists for the Capitals (23-21-8), who are 1-6-2 in their past nine games.

“I think the effort’s been there, but I think at the end of the day we’re not winning and we’re not good enough,” Washington forward Connor McMichael said. “The compete’s there, the effort’s there, but we’ve got to start capitalizing on our chances and tighten up on our mistakes.”

Colton gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 2:46 of the first period. He beat Lindgren glove side with a wrist shot from the slot after a pass from Wood sent him in alone.

Devon Toews made it 2-0 at 4:57, scoring from the point on a wrist shot through a screen.

The Capitals tied it with two goals in 44 seconds.

Beck Malenstyn cut it to 2-1 at 9:16, scoring on a rebound after Georgiev made a pad save on Martin Fehervary’s point shot.

McMichael then tied 2-2 at 10:00. Following an Avalanche turnover, he took a pass from Aliaksei Protas and had his return attempt deflected in off Lehkonen's left skate.

“I thought we did a pretty good job as a group just taking that breath, regrouping and being able to come out there and get two quickly and be able to get back in the game,” Malenstyn said.

Bednar said: “I felt like our start was good. We’re pushing north, linear attack, finishing to the net. We get rewarded with two goals, and then something changed, and it just got ugly for me for the rest of the first period.”

Lehkonen gave the Avalanche a 3-2 lead at 8:50 of the second period, cutting to the net and scoring off a pass across the slot from Colton.

“Amazing player,” Georgiev said of Lehkonen. “He's battling so hard. Just a full whatever-feet-the-rink is player, defends awesome and he makes plays offensively, too, so great to have him have a big night today.”

Rantanen increased the lead to 4-2 at 17:03 during a power play. Nathan MacKinnon passed in front to Lehkonen, who went no-look, between his legs back to Rantanen, who scored from the bottom of the right circle.

"Well, I was ready because he kind of handled it and he had it kind of in his feet,” Rantanen said. “So I tried to kind of creep down there and he was able to find me with the great between the legs. It was a great pass."

After Ovechkin’s goal, the Capitals kept surging but could not tie it.

Lehkonen scored into an empty net with 59 seconds remaining for his second four-point game of the season (also Oct. 21), and Wood added another with 33 seconds remaining for the 6-3 final.

NOTES: It was Ovechkin’s fifth six-game goal streak in the NHL, and his first since December 2018. He has nine points (six goals, three assists) during a seven-game point streak. … Ovechkin became the third player in NHL history with a goal streak of at least six games at the age of 38 or older, joining Brett Hull (seven games, 2003-04) and Johnny Bucyk (six games in 1974-75). … Ovechkin’s career-long goal streak is seven games, which he accomplished in his rookie season in 2005-06 (eight goals, five assists). … The Avalanche have won four straight against the Capitals for the first time since Dec. 11, 2010-Nov. 10, 2013. … Lehkonen had one point (an assist) in his first six games since returning from a neck injury. … Bednar said forward Logan O'Connor, who did not play, is day to day with a lower-body injury.