Ovechkin scores No. 891 in Capitals win against Bruins

BOSTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored his 891st goal, moving within four of breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record, in the Washington Capitals’ 4-3 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday.

Ovechkin, who has 38 goals in 58 games this season, gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal at 15:43 of the first period. Dylan Strome redirected John Carlson’s pass from the point across the crease to Ovechkin, who buried the puck into an open net at the left post.

“A goal’s a goal,” Ovechkin said when asked about scoring No. 891. “It was a great play by Strome and [Carlson].”

Ovechkin and Strome each had a goal and an assist, and Charlie Lindgren made 21 saves for the Capitals (48-17-9), who had lost three in a row (0-2-1).

Washington moved within one point of the Winnipeg Jets for first in the NHL standings with a game in hand.

“It was a big win in general,” Lindgren said. “Obviously, the previous three games hadn’t gone our way, so just to get back in the win column and get that taste of winning again, even though it was only three games, it still [stunk] and it was about time we turned it around. ... Overall, we’ll take two points.”

David Pastrnak scored twice for the Bruins (30-36-9), who have lost nine consecutive games (0-8-1). Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves.

“Guys are trying to get a win,” Boston coach Joe Sacco said. “You want to just make sure that you keep battling, you keep playing through it, and I thought we did tonight. ... We’re going to play hard right to the very end.”

Nic Dowd gave Washington a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal at 13:32 of the first period. Pastrnak hustled to keep the puck in at the offensive blue line, but it deflected into the neutral zone, leading to a 2-on-1. Dowd then elected to shoot from the left circle and roofed a shot over Swayman's glove.

After Ovechkin extended the lead, Vinni Lettieri, who was placed on waivers by Boston on Sunday, cut it to 2-1 at 6:05 of the second period. Lindgren tried to clear the puck around the boards, but it caromed into the low slot, where Lettieri lifted a shot past the goalie's blocker.

Pastrnak tied the game at 2-2 at 17:12, redirecting a one-timed pass from Morgan Geekie past Lindgren on the power play.

“We’ve got to be careful,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “There are momentum swings in hockey games, you’re going to lose momentum and mistakes are going to happen. We have got to figure out a way, especially down the stretch, and I understand where we’re at and where guys’ minds are at, but you have to be able to change momentum in games. We talked multiple times, and they heard from me multiple times during the second period, and we could not change momentum. It was mistake after mistake, and it’s going to happen, but you have to limit it to five minutes. It can’t be 20 straight minutes of coming off the rails. It’s a 2-2 hockey game and now a brand new game. ... If you don’t manage momentum in three weeks, you’re going to have a short playoff run. We need to make sure we can handle those situations no matter what the circumstances.”

Strome put the Capitals back in front 3-2 at 10:37 of the third period, tapping the puck in at the left post after Aliaksei Protas' one-timer from the point ricocheted off the end boards.

Tom Wilson pushed it to 4-2 at 14:46 when his pass for Trevor van Riemsdyk on a 2-on-1 deflected into the net off the chest of Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei.

Pastrnak scored 27 seconds later to make it 4-3. He skated across the top of the zone and into the right circle before scoring through a screen off the far post.

Ryan Leonard, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Washington on Monday, made his NHL debut. The 20-year-old forward, who was selected with the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was plus-1 in 14:14 of ice time while playing on a line with Strome and Protas.

“Happy for him,” Ovechkin said. “He played solid, physical, controlled the puck well, and he has a great future.”

Leonard, who is from Amherst, Massachusetts, was well represented by family, friends and teammates from Boston College.

“I can’t really explain it,” he said. “If you had told me this a couple of years ago, it just wouldn’t be real. I really don’t know what to say. I’m just trying to embrace the moment.”