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The great eight is still great: numbers for the morning after

The Caps entered action on Saturday night looking for their second three-game winning streak of the season. They got it against the NHL’s best offensive team, downing the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 in a game where their captain shone brightest.

The Maple Leafs out-shot the Capitals 29 to 21 and out-attempted them five-on-five 51 to 34. Most of that damage occurred in the third period with the Leafs desperate for a comeback.

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By Chris Cerullo 5 years ago

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The Capitals named Alex Luey player of the game. They gave him a standing ovation in the locker room.

Alex Luey’s fairy tale night ended the way it started: in the Capitals locker room.

The 13-year-old cancer survivor, who was by Alex Ovechkin’s side during postgame interviews, was honored by the team in one final kind gesture.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Alex Ovechkin promised Alex Luey he would score a goal before the game. He tallied a hat trick instead.

The Alex Luey Show continued postgame.

The 13-year-old cancer survivor joined Alex Ovechkin during his interviews with the media. While speaking nationally in Canada with HNIC, Luey showed off the Hockey Night In Canada towel that Ovechkin gave him. The two also revealed that Ovechkin promised a goal for Luey before the game.

Ovi scored three instead. What a considerate human being.

“It’s incredible what he did for me,” Luey said.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Alex Luey, overcome with emotion, hugged his parents after Alex Ovechkin’s hat trick

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 20th career hat trick Saturday night in Toronto. The tally gave Ovechkin the NHL lead in goals, and the franchise lead in career hat tricks. But the goal was even bigger than that.

A month ago, Ovechkin invited 13-year-old cancer survivor Alex Luey to the Caps-Leafs game after finding out he was Luey’s favorite player. Luey cried.

After Ovechkin scored his hatty tonight, Luey was once again overwhelmed.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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After 20th hatty, Alex Ovechkin leads NHL in goals, Capitals in career hat tricks

After scoring two goals in the first period, Alex Ovechkin netted a hat trick after being given a rare shift while protecting a Caps lead in the final minute.

Ovechkin, after some passionate forechecking with 10 seconds left to go, took a pass a pass from TJ Oshie and backhanded the puck into the back of the net for the empty-netter.

Several hats were thrown onto the Air Canada Centre ice.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Great day to be named Alex: Caps beat Leafs 4-2

The Capitals and Maple Leafs faced off in a battle of former playoff foes. The two teams, both playing the back half of back to backs, rekindled their “friendship” in a game where the Caps could extend their winning streak to three games.

Alex Ovechkin in the midst of getting booed, went through the entire Leafs team to open the scoring. He doubled his total on the power play shortly after. 2-0 lead for the Caps after 20 minutes.

Jakub Vrana converted a breakaway for his seventh of the season. 3-0 good guys after 40 minutes.

Jake Gardiner struck early in the third. Zaitsev would follow with his own tally shortly after. That Ovechkin dude would seal it with an empty net goal for his hat trick.

Caps beat Leafs 4-2!

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By Chris Cerullo 5 years ago

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Jakub Vrana turns on the jets and scores on a breakaway

Jakub Vrana has been playing some fantastic hockey of late and that continued Saturday night in Toronto.

The top-six forward scored on a breakway after a heads-up chip up the ice by TJ Oshie. Vrana’s tally gave the Caps a 3-0 lead.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Alex Ovechkin scores two sensational first-period goals after spending warmups with cancer survivor Alex Luey

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin invited 13-year-old, cancer survivor Alex Luey to the game Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Luey a youth hockey player for the Niagara Falls Flyers, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancer that lives inside the bone. Luey had part of his right leg amputated, but after a successful surgery and a new prosthetic, began re-playing the sport he loved most.

Ovechkin, inspired by the story, gave Luey tickets to the game in October and the gesture made Luey cry.

Fast forward to this evening and the pair spent most of pregame warm-ups together. Ovechkin and Luey even took a selfie together from the bench.

By the end of the game’s first 20 minutes, Ovechkin gave an even better gift to Luey. He scored twice. His first goal was one of his most beautiful tallies of the season.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Caps at Leafs pregame: Going for three

The Caps have strung a couple wins together and are hoping to make it three one on the road tonight in Toronto. Both teams played on Friday night, so it might be a bit sluggish out there – and that’s not even counting Roman Polak in the lineup.

The game starts at 7 PM on National Biscuit Company Sports Division Washington Bureau Double Plus Good. (Seriously, it’s on NBCSWA+ and the plus part is important.) Chris from the Comments has your recap. Let’s go Caps.

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By Peter Hassett 5 years ago

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