WASHINGTON (AP) — Jake Oettinger made 45 saves to backstop the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 comeback victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night and deny Alex Ovechkin another milestone goal.
Jamie Benn tied it early in the third period, and Colin Miller scored the go-ahead goal on a fluky carom less than 90 seconds later to help the Stars win for the fourth time in five games.
Washington’s winning streak ended at five, and Ovechkin’s run of four consecutive games with a goal came to an end. Ovechkin remains at 800, one back of tying Gordie Howe for second on the NHL career list.
Ovechkin did get on the score sheet, setting up Conor Sheary’s goal in the second period for his 645th assist. That pulled Ovechkin even with a different Hockey Hall of Famer, Bobby Orr, for 70th all-time in assists and generated a few faint “Ovi! Ovi” chants from fans in attendance looking to see a different kind of history.
Instead, they saw Washington lose on home ice for the first time in nearly a month. Charlie Lindgren stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the end of his personal five-game win streak that earned him league First Star of the Week honors.
A power-play goal by Benn 48 seconds into the third and Miller’s shot 2:07 in that fluttered in off Capitals center Lars Eller’s backside were enough to keep Dallas rolling on its five-game trip thanks to another strong performance by Oettinger, an early candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender.
NOTES: Stars forward Mason Marchment played after missing the team’s morning skate for maintenance. … Capitals forward Sonny Milano was out with an illness. Nicolas Aube-Kubel replaced him in the lineup.
UP NEXT
Stars: Visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in the fourth stop of their road swing.
Capitals: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night with former Washington goaltender Ilya Samsonov expected to start in his old home building as a visitor for the first time.
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Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
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