NHL roundup: Ovechkin closes in on record, Jets rermain best team in hockey

The NHL's 14-game schedule on Tuesday featured several compelling narratives, notably Alexander Ovechkin (39) edging closer to surpassing Wayne Gretzky's record, while the Winnipeg Jets solidified their status as the league's top team by extending their winning streak to seven games.

Ovechkin netted an empty-net goal with a mere 0.1 seconds remaining, contributing to the Capitals' 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. This win marks Washington's second triumph over the Panthers this season, with an opportunity for a clean sweep when the teams meet again on March 22nd.

Contributions to the Capitals' scoring came from Andrew Mangiapane (11), Tom Wilson (22), Lars Eller (9), Nic Dowd (11), and Aliaksei Protas (22). Goaltender Logan Thompson has now tied for third place in franchise history for the longest point streak (13), alongside Pat Riggin and Braden Holtby.

Thompson requires two additional games to surpass Holtby's streak of 14 and eight more to exceed Jose Theodore's record of 19 games, which would establish the longest point streak in team history. He currently boasts an impressive record of 11-0-2 over his last 13 appearances.

With this victory, Washington improves to 35-11-7 for the season, maintaining their lead in the Eastern Conference, while the Panthers, despite the defeat, remain in third place with a record of 32-20-3.

In another matchup, the Jets secured a 3-0 victory over the Hurricanes, marking their seventh consecutive win. Winnipeg now holds the best record in the league at 38-14-3, achieving their seventh shutout of the season.

Goals were scored by Nino Niederreiter (14), Neal Pionk (8), and Rasmus Kupari (5), each contributing one goal per period. Goaltender Eric Comrie recorded his first shutout of the season and the third of his career.

The Hurricanes have now suffered two consecutive losses and three defeats in their last five games, trailing the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division, despite holding second place with a record of 32-18-4.

Islanders 2-1 Knights
The Islanders took an early lead when Bo Horvat (19) scored the first goal. However, newly acquired forward Brandon Saad (8) equalized for the Knights in the third period. Fortunately for the Islanders, Brock Nelson (16) netted the decisive goal, securing the victory.

This defeat marks the Knights' fourth consecutive loss, during which they have been outscored 12-7. Despite this downturn, Vegas remains only a few points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the top position in the Pacific Division, holding a record of 31-17-6.

On the other hand, the Islanders have achieved victory in eight of their last ten matches and are now just three points away from surpassing the Columbus Blue Jackets for third place in the Metropolitan Division, with a record of 25-21-7.

In other league action, the Oilers triumphed over the Blues with a score of 3-2, thanks to a game-winning goal from Connor Brown (7) in overtime. Additionally, the Boston Bruins have secured back-to-back victories, recently shutting out the struggling Minnesota Wild 3-0.

Jack Hughes contributed significantly to the New Jersey Devils' 3-2 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring twice, while the Tampa Bay Lightning managed to defeat the on-form Ottawa Senators in a closely contested match, ending 4-3.

SportsLigue