Gustafsson scores three against a shaky Samsonov, Ovechkin will have to wait to tie Howe.
WASHINGTON—Ilya Samsonov had hoped for so much better, like a triumphant return to the Capital One Arena.goalie endured his worst game of an otherwise stellar season, a 5-2 loss Saturday night to the Washington Capitals.
“You can understand why it would be an emotional return for anybody in their first time back,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. “But you’ve got to go through it. You can’t avoid playing here forever. Ovechkin, meanwhile, can chase historic goal No. 801 Monday against perhaps a more poetic opponent: Howe’s old team, the Detroit Red Wings.
“It’s really hard to put into words, but it’s pretty cool that we’re witnessing some pretty incredible history,” Matthews said. “He’s a pretty tough guy to stop. What he’s done year after year, the consistency and him being able to produce the way that he has is incredibly remarkable.”It didn’t take long for the Leafs to go from looking like they can’t lose to looking like they can’t win. This mini two-game road trip wrapped up with a second loss and all the positives came to an end.
The dagger came on Gustafsson’s third goal, 10 seconds into the third period, giving Washington a 4-2 lead.
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