Alex Ovechkin will likely have the chance to add to his NHL record for most goaltenders scored on for a second game in a row. Per Daily Faceoff, the Anaheim Ducks are expected to start Lukas Dostal against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
Dostal, 24, has never played the Capitals in the four seasons he has spent time with the Ducks in the NHL. Ovechkin missed out on adding to his list Sunday afternoon, failing to beat Joey Daccord while he was in the Seattle Kraken’s net.
Ovechkin set the NHL record, 179 different goalies, earlier this season when he scored an overtime winner against Ottawa’s Leevi Merilainen on January 16. He has since added two others to his list: Philadelphia’s Ivan Fedotov and Edmonton’s Calvin Pickard.
In 26 career games against the Ducks, Ovechkin has recorded 30 points (12g, 18a). He did not record any points against Anaheim on January 14, the lone other meeting between the two clubs this season. After scoring an empty netter against the Kraken, Ovechkin is just nine goals shy of becoming the NHL’s all-time top goal scorer.
Dostal is 19-16-5 this season with a 2.83 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and one shutout. Per MoneyPuck, he ranks third in the league in goals saved above expected (21.9), behind only Washington’s Logan Thompson (28.2) and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (33.3).
Thompson will get the nod from head coach Spencer Carbery in Washington’s net. Thompson has won two starts in a row and his first shutout this season came against the Ducks. He stopped all 19 shots he faced, improving to 2-2-1 against them in his career with a 1.66 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage, and two shutouts.
The Ducks are much improved this season and sit just seven points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. They won their last game against the New York Islanders 4-1 on Sunday.
