Capitals End the Golden Knights’ Season-Opening Winning Streak at 3 With a 4-2 Victory

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, center, attempts a shot against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill, left, and Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Washington, on Oct. 15, 2024. John McDonnell/AP Photo

WASHINGTON—Alex Ovechkin assisted on goals by Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas, Logan Thompson made 24 saves against his former team and the Washington Capitals ended the Vegas Golden Knights’ season-opening winning streak at three with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday night.

Ovechkin, who is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record, became the 60th player in league history to record 700 assists. He has three assists through Washington’s first two games of the season and remains 42 away from breaking Gretzky’s mark.

Jakub Vrana scored on his first shot in his return to the Capitals, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2018 when they beat Vegas in the final. Vrana made the team after attending camp on a tryout.

Jakob Chychrun also scored his first since joining Washington in a summer trade from Ottawa. Thompson, another one of a handful of newcomers from an offseason of change, beat the Golden Knights after they traded him rather than give him a bigger role.

Adin Hill, the goalie who backstopped Vegas to the Cup in ‘23, allowed four goals on 22 shots. Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel scored for the Knights.

Takeaways

Golden Knights: This was something of a schedule loss after playing at home Sunday night and getting no time to adjust to the Eastern Time Zone.

Capitals: Got their legs under them after starting much later than most teams, including their first two opponents.

Key Moment

Chychrun batted in a goal off the rush from Nic Dowd to make it 4-1 Capitals 6:13 into the second period.

Key Stat

Ovechkin joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only six players with 700 goals and 700 assists.

Up Next

The Golden Knights make their second stop on a three-game Eastern Conference road trip Thursday at Tampa Bay, while the Capitals host Dallas the same night.

By Stephen Whyno