NHL roundup: Ovechkin nears historic mark, Suzuki delivers for Canadiens

The National Hockey League (NHL) regular season is nearing its conclusion, with only a few rounds remaining. On Tuesday, several teams made significant strides in their quest for playoff positions, highlighted by some key goals. Below is a summary of notable events from a couple of the games.

The Washington Capitals maintained their chase for the President's Trophy with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on the road.

Nic Dowd initiated the scoring with six and a half minutes remaining in the first period during a short-handed situation. Just two minutes later, the Capitals extended their lead when their captain, Alex Ovechkin, scored his 891st career goal on a power play, bringing him within four goals of surpassing Wayne Gretzky's all-time scoring record.

The Bruins fought back in the second period, managing to equalize. Vinni Lettieri put the home team on the board six minutes in, followed by David Pastrnak, who leveled the score during a power play.

Despite the Bruins' strong comeback in the second period, Washington responded with two additional goals in the third. Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson scored four minutes apart, propelling the Capitals forward. Although Pastrnak netted a third goal for the Bruins with under five minutes remaining, they were unable to equalize.

With this victory marking their 41st of the regular season, the Capitals now hold an 11-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes at the top of the Eastern Conference, breaking a streak of three consecutive losses. Meanwhile, the Bruins remain at the bottom of the conference, suffering their ninth consecutive defeat.

In a thrilling finish at the Bell Centre, the Montreal Canadiens triumphed over the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime.

Josh Anderson gave the home team an early lead just 4:43 into the game. The Panthers responded nearly six minutes later, with Niko Mikkola scoring to equalize.

The Panthers outperformed the Habs in terms of shots, registering 49 compared to the Habs' 33, which likely contributed to their ability to take the lead. This occurred late in the second period, thanks to Matthew Samoskevich. They managed to maintain this advantage for most of the third period.

In an impressive defensive effort, Florida allowed only six shots during the final period of regulation; however, they still conceded a goal. Nick Suzuki found the net with just seven seconds remaining, equalizing the score and pushing the game into overtime. Remarkably, only 29 seconds into the extra period, Suzuki scored again, securing victory for his team.

As a result, the Habs now occupy the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Panthers have fallen to fifth place in the conference, although they are still on track for a postseason appearance.