Washington Capitals 4-2 Seattle Kraken
The Washington Capitals were made to work for their 4-2 win over the expansion side Seattle Kraken.
The visitors took the lead with 7:23 left in the opening period via Shane Wright. It allowed Seattle to go into the first intermission in front. However, Martin Fehervary quickly responded for the Caps 35 seconds into the second period. Two minutes later, Dylan Strome gave the hosts the lead.
To the Kraken's credit, they did not give up without a fight. Jordan Eberle tied things up 7:23 into the frame. Having outshot their opponents 55 to 39 in this one, the visitors will be disappointed to come out of the match with nothing. Connor McMichael got the game-winner with 4:16 left in regulation, before Alex Ovechkin added an empty-netter with a minute and a half left. The Washington captain now needs nine to break Wayne Gretzky's goal record.
The Capitals move onto 92 points, nine clear of the next-best team in the Eastern Conference. It was also their fourth win on the dot. For the Kraken, they stay fourth bottom in the West, falling to defeat their opponents for the third time in their last four outings.
Las Vegas Golden Knights 5-6 Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles went on the road and came out with a 6-5 win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Anze Kopitar put the guests ahead 11:22 into the game before Brandt Clarke added a second near the end of the period. Quinton Byfield added a third two minutes into the third, putting the Golden Knights in a difficult spot.
The hosts finally got on the scoreboard five minutes into the second frame through Nicolas Roy. They added a second nearly five minutes later as Tomas Hertl brought the deficit to one. That would not last though, as Warren Foegele made it 4-2 with 69 seconds left before the intermission.
After Trevor Moore added a fifth four minutes into the final period, the Golden Knights attempted to mount a comeback once more. Hertl got his second of the game off a power play eight and a half minutes in, but Adrian Kempe also scored a short-hander to restore LA's three-goal lead. Brandon Saad then made it 6-4 moments later, before Hertl would complete his hat-trick with 2:12 left. Unfortunately for him and Vegas, that was the closest they got.
The Kings now have consecutive wins as they pull six points clear of the playoff-chasing Calgary Flames. As for the Golden Knights, who saw their four-game winning run come to an end, they stay in third spot in the West.
