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 Richards and left winger Alex Ovechkin scored third-period goals 26
seconds apart, and the Capitals defeated the Arizona Coyotes 3-2
Monday night for their fourth straight win.
After Ovechkin broke a 1-1 tie at 8:17 of the third, Richards scored
his first goal in his 15th game at 8:43. Right winger Tom Wilson
shot on Arizona rookie goalie Louis Domingue, then poked the puck
free as the goalie attempted to cover it up, and Richards banged the
loose puck home.
"I actually thought the goalie had it and the puck just popped out
and somehow ended up on my stick," Richards said.
Domingue then slammed his stick on the crossbar as a scrum broke out
behind the net. The play withstood a coach's challenge.
"I just figured with my luck it'd be disallowed," said Richards, who
received a standing ovation from the Verizon Center crowd. "The
ovation obviously was nice. It was nice to celebrate with my
teammates. They've been supportive and it's been awhile since I
scored a goal of any importance."
Domingue wasn't feeling any better about the play after the game.
"I'm expecting that they treat every guy the same way," Domingue
said when asked if he was expecting the referee to whistle the puck
dead. "I feel like because I don't have many games in this league
I'm being treated differently. And I think that if (Washington
goalie Braden) Holtby would have covered the puck this way they
would have blew the whistle right away."
Arizona head coach Dave Tippett said: "It's a play you've got to
stay with it all the way through. You can hope the referee blows the
whistle, but you've got to play it right 'til you hear the whistle."
Richards, 31, saw his Los Angeles Kings' contract terminated last
summer due to a combination of limited production and an arrest at
the Canadian border for possession of a controlled substance. Signed
by the Capitals in January, he was scoreless in his first 14 games.
"A lot of us know what it's like coming to a new team and trying to
fit in, trying to impress everybody," said right winger Justin
Williams, a teammate of Richards in Los Angeles.
"He's been doing that, but hasn't quite gotten on the scoresheet. I
know that drags on him. Hopefully this'll springboard him to a lot
more."
Ovechkin's go-ahead goal, a wrister from the left circle that beat
Domingue to the short side, was the 39th of the season and 10th in
the past eight games for the NHL goal-scoring leader, who added an
assist.
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Defenseman Connor Murphy pulled Arizona within 3-2 when he beat
Holtby at 9:43, but the Coyotes couldn't get the equalizer and
dropped the opener of a five-game East Coast swing.
"If we expect to get points, which we have to on this trip, you've
got to play flawless hockey," Tippett said. "We made a couple
mistakes that cost us tonight."
Center Evgeny Kuznetsov notched his 18th goal of the season and an
assist for Washington (44-10-4), which has won nine of 10 overall
and is 17-1-1 in its last 19 home games.
Holtby had 25 saves.
Domingue stopped 31 shots, and defenseman Kevin Connauton scored the
other goal for Arizona, which has lost four straight road games.
With 60 points, the Coyotes began play five shy of the Nashville
Predators for the second Western Conference wild-card berth.
Arizona scored 16 goals in its previous three games, but couldn't
beat Holtby in the scoreless first period despite a total of five
minutes with the man-advantage.
The Coyotes took a 1-0 lead at 3:25 of the second period when
Connauton, the trailer on a three-on-two break, beat Holtby high on
his glove side from the slot.
An Arizona penalty about a minute later swung the momentum.
With center Martin Hanzal off for slashing, Domingue got a piece of
Kuznetsov's shot from the right circle, but the puck deflected off
his arm and trickled in.
NOTES: Arizona D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who left Saturday's loss to
the Blues with a lower-body injury, was back in the lineup. ... The
Coyotes scratched C Tyler Gaudet and D Klas Dahlbeck. ... Capitals C
Marcus Johansson (illness) was scratched, and C Mike Richards
replaced him on the third line. D Taylor Chorney was also a scratch.
... Washington came in with 90 points, the most through the first 57
games since Philadelphia had 91 points in 1979-80. ... With the NHL
trade deadline one week away, scouts from the Bruins, Blackhawks,
Stars, Canadiens, Senators, Flyers and Sharks were listed on the
Verizon Center press box seating chart.
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