NHL roundup: Alex Ovechkin sets empty-netter mark as Caps top Bruins

On Saturday afternoon, the visiting Washington Capitals triumphed over the Boston Bruins with a resounding 3-0 victory. T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin showcased their skills by each contributing a goal and an assist. Additionally, Charlie Lindgren displayed exceptional goaltending prowess by successfully stopping all 18 shots he faced.

Ovechkin netted his 57th career empty-net goal with just 27 seconds remaining, surpassing Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. Additionally, this goal marked Ovechkin's 834th career goal, bringing him within 60 goals of Gretzky on the NHL's all-time goals list.

In the game, Oshie's power-play goal at 1:05 of the second period proved to be the game-winner. Dylan Strome and Ovechkin later added insurance goals in the third period, helping the Capitals break their six-game winless streak (0-5-1) that began on January 20.

Despite making 25 saves, Jeremy Swayman suffered his second consecutive loss for the Bruins.

Meanwhile, the Kings secured a 4-0 victory over the Oilers, with David Rittich making 26 saves and Quinton Byfield contributing two goals and an assist in Jim Hiller's NHL head-coaching debut.

Hiller, who had been an assistant for Los Angeles since July 2022, took over as interim head coach after Todd McLellan's dismissal on February 2 following a 3-8-6 stretch.

Edmonton's Stuart Skinner made 22 saves in the game, but the Oilers fell to their second loss in the last three games after a 16-game winning streak, which was tied for the second longest in NHL history.

In another matchup, the Blues emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over the Sabres. Jake Neighbours scored twice to lead St. Louis, while Jordan Kyrou also found the back of the net. Joel Hofer made 34 saves for the Blues, who have won six of their last seven games and remain in contention for a Western Conference playoff spot.

On the other side, Kyle Okposo scored for the Sabres, but Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's 23 saves were not enough as Buffalo suffered their fourth loss in the last six games, further distancing themselves from the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Jake Walman netted a goal on a penalty shot just 23 seconds into overtime, securing a victory for Detroit against Vancouver in their recent matchup.

In addition to his goal, Walman also contributed an assist, while Lucas Raymond, Daniel Sprong, and Michael Rasmussen each found the back of the net for the Red Wings.

On the other side, Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson showcased their skills for the Canucks, with each player recording a goal and two assists.

Tampa Bay secured a 4-2 victory over Columbus, with Steven Stamkos netting the crucial game-winning goal.

Nicholas Paul and Brandon Hagel also contributed with a goal and an assist each, while Anthony Cirelli added another goal to the scoreboard.

Andrei Vasilevskiy's exceptional performance in goal, making 33 saves, played a significant role in the Lightning's success. This win allowed Tampa Bay to break their two-game losing streak and improve their record to 9-3-0 in their last 12 games.

In their first game after the NHL All-Star break, Ottawa's Josh Norris made a triumphant return by scoring the decisive goal in the second period, leading his team to a 5-3 victory over Toronto on home ice in Kanata,

Ont. Norris was joined by Claude Giroux, Vladimir Tarasenko, Shane Pinto, and Ridly Greig on the scoresheet, as they all contributed to the Senators' win.

Joonas Korpisalo's impressive performance in goal, stopping 31 shots, helped Ottawa secure their third consecutive victory, a feat they hadn't achieved since November.

The Maple Leafs' goals came from Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, and Max Domi, with Matthews extending his lead as the NHL's top goal scorer with his 42nd goal of the season.

Philadelphia Flyers secured a 3-2 victory against the Seattle Kraken, with goaltender Cal Petersen making an impressive 17 saves in his first start since November 11.

The Flyers' win marked their third consecutive victory since the All-Star break, with Sean Couturier scoring the game-winning goal early in the third period. Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling also contributed with special-teams tallies. On the other side,

Tomas Tatar and Jared McCann found the back of the net for the Kraken, while Joey Daccord made 35 saves. This game marked the Kraken's return to action after a break since January 30.