“Washington” lost “Islanders” in NHL match, Ovechkin failed to score against Sorokin

After losing in a crucial and crucial game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in terms of qualifying, the Washington Capitals players took a few days off to prepare for another direct opponent in their fight for a spot in the National Playoffs. Hockey League. In the capital of the United States, the team of Peter Lavioletta was given the “New York Islanders” on the eve of a big deal with the “New Jersey Devils”, one of the main discoveries of the season.

Even before the game with “Washington”, all the main cards were in the hands of the “islanders”. The “Islanders” had a substantial points margin against the “capital” background and were in the top eight of the Eastern Conference. In the debate for the coveted wild card, the “Capitals” position was disproportionately low. Also, Ilya Sorokin, one of the best goalkeepers of the season, came to Washington with the Islanders. “Will Alexander Ovechkin score today?” We give the answer right away – no, Ovechkin did not score and could not extend the scoring streak, which in the end reached seven matches in a row.

And the moments when Ovi stood out today were good. Even in the first period, the Russian captain of “Washington” took a classy wrist shot from the left starting circle and aimed for the far “nine”, but landed on the crossbar. It’s not a fact that Sorokin would have trapped it if the disc had gone a few centimeters lower. Ovechkin also had a great chance to score in overtime when he essentially went one-to-zero. But the Russian goalkeeper “Islanders” prevailed in close combat.

But in the NHL, Ilya is still an insurmountable goal for Ovechkin. The Russian goalkeeper played five games against Washington during the regular season, including today’s game, and met the Caps’ leader twice face-to-face. I never missed.

Today Sorokin has removed the puck from his own net twice, after other players’ shots in the “capital”. In the second period, the Russian lost to Conor Shiri and was already in the shootout at the end of regular time and extra time after Evgeny Kuznetsov’s trick. The “Washington” Russian forward has been shooting in slow motion this season, conceding five out of six tries. Only in the match with “Devils” Kuzya hit the board. In the game with the Islanders, it was Kuznetsov who became the only hockey player of the home team to surpass Sorokin in conflicts – TJ Oshi and Niklas Backstrom, could not cope with the goalkeeper of the Islanders, and rather, the “Islanders” triumph with them.

This victory was doubly important to the club’s fans from New York. First, Lane Lambert’s wards improved their chances of qualifying for the Stanley Cup. Second, beating “Washington” has become a matter of principle just because of Ovechkin.

Blame the event at the end of the third period. Ovechkin is known not only for his powerful and accurate shots, but also for his power struggle. By hits, Russian ranks in the top three in Capitals. Today, from the first minutes of the meeting, it marks a personal and painstaking challenge for Ovi by incorporating five more power moves that Islander players have contributed to a little bit.

Among Ovechkin’s victims was Canadian defender Adam Pelek. The Russian clamped his opponent firmly to the side and apparently injured his back. Writhing in pain immediately after the collision, Pelek barely reached the bench of his team, which was a few meters away from him.

Fans of the club from New York not only literally revolted on social networks, reacting to such a hit performed by Ovechkin. There are countless angry and even extremely rude comments about the Russian sniper. Here are some of them – printable:

However, all this is just a manifestation of emotions. Despite the pain, Pelek continued the game, played in overtime and told reporters at the end of the interview that he felt fine.