The Alex Ovechkin milestone watch moves on to a fourth game when the Washington Capitals visit the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
One team’s three-game losing streak will end in the contest, during which the Capitals captain will try again to become the first NHL player to score 900 career goals.
Ovechkin, 40, has been sitting on 899 goals since scoring against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 24.
The Capitals dropped their third straight game on Friday, falling 3-1 to the visiting New York Islanders, and they have been outscored 11-2 during the skid.
The Sabres have been more competitive, earning a point each of three consecutive 4-3 overtime losses, the latest on Thursday against the host Boston Bruins.
Tom Wilson scored for the Capitals against New York, and Logan Thompson made 20 saves. Washington took a 1-0 lead early in the second period but could not hold it, going 0-for-4 on its struggling power play and allowing a short-handed goal that tied the game.
Washington is 0-for-9 with the extra man during the losing streak.
“It just continues to be an issue for us,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “We’re trying to work through it, find some personnel that can make it work. That’s as simple as I can put it. And we’ve just got to find something that looks and resembles and can generate some chemistry because thus far this year we haven’t found it.”
Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren will get the start on Saturday. He is 2-2-1 with a 3.50 goals-against average and an .877 save percentage in his career vs. Buffalo.
The Sabres rallied from a 3-1 third-period deficit to force overtime against the Bruins, but Rasmus Dahlin’s turnover led to the Boston game-winner.
“Hell of a comeback, and then we have a chance to get two points, and then I (mess) up there,” Dahlin said. “We worked so hard to come back in the game. Really good game by the team to come back, just a tough ending. …
“We just have to be smarter. We have to really dig in and see how we can play better 3-on-3. But I think it starts with not getting to overtime.”
Dahlin and Alex Tuch each had a goal and assist for the Sabres, and Alex Lyon made 18 saves. Josh Doan scored his fourth goal of the season to tie for the team lead.
Lyon is 3-2-2 with a 2.81 GAA and 9.05 save percentage in eight career games vs. Washington.
Sabres forward Jordan Greenway, after a second surgery for his middle-body injury and a rehab process, played his first game of the season at Boston. He skated 15:22 and had three shots on goal.
Buffalo forward Zach Benson, who left the Thursday game with 4:02 remaining in the third period, landed on injured reserve on Friday due to an undisclosed injury. Forward Isak Rosen, 22, was recalled from the Sabres’ Rochester affiliate. Rosen was tied for the AHL lead with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in eight games to begin the season.
The Sabres won two of three meetings against the Capitals last season, including a 4-3 shootout decision in Buffalo. Washington has dropped four straight in upstate New York.
“It will be another hard game,” Washington forward Aliaksei Protas said. “We never have an easy time against those guys on the road. It will be another tough match, and we’ve got to be prepared and it’s a great time to respond well.”
