Capitals players Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov all suited up for a hockey game Saturday for the first time since Washington lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The result, unfortunately, was much of the same.
Playing for their home country in its second of three tournament games this week, Team Russia lost to Finland 3-1.
Alex Ovechkin scored Russia’s only goal and it came off a sensational pass by Evgeny Kuznetsov.
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Just as a Team Russia powerplay was ending late in the third period, Evgeny Kuznetsov gained the Finland zone. He curled at the wing and then waited.
As a hole opened up in Finland’s coverage, Kuznetsov sent a seam pass to a wide-open Ovechkin in his office. You know how this story ends.
Ovechkin one-timed the puck and scored with 51 seconds remaining in the game.
The Russian machine did not celebrate after scoring. The goal marked Ovechkin’s 51th tally and 94th point with Russia Men’s hockey team (World Championship, World Cup, Olympic Games, Euro Hockey Tour, Euro Hockey Challenge) per friend of the blog Louis-Pierre Smith Lacroix.
Ovechkin played as part of a five-man powerplay unit that consisted of five forwards.
Team Russia's head coach Ilya Vorobyov played Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Kaprizov, Grigorenko and Kovalchuk as a PP2 today. Kovalchuk hold a blue line. It didn't result in anything, which isn't surprising, but playing 5 forwards on the PP is cool
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) May 4, 2019
Harri Pesonen, Mikko Lehtonen (Assists: Toni Rajala, Kaapo Kakko), and Oliwer Kaski (A:Niko Ojamäki) scored the three goals for Finland.
The loss marked Russia’s second consecutive defeat in the Carlson Hockey Games – the final leg of the Euro Hockey Tour this year.
They play the Czech Republic Sunday in their final tune-up for the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
