WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Tuch scored with 5:12 remaining, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Sunday in a matchup of division leaders.
The Knights rallied three times from one-goal deficits before Tuch picked up his 10th of the season. Capitals goalie Philipp Grubauer tied to corral the loose puck, but knocked it into the net with his catching hand. Washington challenged the play for goaltender interference, but the goal stood.
Nicklas Backstrom gave Metropolitan Division-leading Washington a 3-2 lead 52 seconds into the third period. Reilly Smith tied it when he scored his second goal of the game on a wrist shot from the left circle at 9:21.
Ryan Carpenter had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, leaders of the Pacific Division. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 20 shots.
Matt Niskanen had a goal and an assist for Washington. Chandler Stephenson also scored, and Grubauer had 27 saves.
CANADIENS 4,
SENATORS 1
MONTREAL (AP) — Very quietly, Tomas Plekanec has moved up the Montreal Canadiens’ all-time scoring list.
A goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday gave the 35-year-old 601 career points.
He sits 13th in scoring in a lineup of mostly all-time greats that include Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Maurice (Rocket) Richard and many others.
“Whoever told me that before, I would not believe it and I’d think they were crazy,” said Plekanec, a third-round draft pick in 2001 who became a Canadiens regular in 2005. “But it’s definitely nice and I’m really happy about it.
“A lot of credit goes to the linemates and teammates I had over the years that I was able to put up some numbers even while playing a two-way game.”
His 370th assist moved Plekanec into 12th place in career helpers on the team’s list, one ahead of Mats Naslund and one behind defender Doug Harvey. Naslund remains 12th in points with 612.
Plekanec doesn’t put up points like he used to, but is still highly valued as a checking center who can play against opponents’ top lines and perform in difficult situations. At his peak, the 5-foot-11 Czech had 29 goals and 69 points in 2007-08 and a career-high 70 points in 2009-10.
