Ovechkin passes Yzerman on NHL goals list, Capitals lose to Predators

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin passed Steve Yzerman for ninth place on the NHL all-time goals list, but the Nashville Predators rallied for a 5-4 win against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Wednesday.

Ovechkin, who was suspended one game for missing the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game, has nine goals in his past four games, including two hat tricks. With 693 career goals, he needs one to tie Mark Messier for eighth on the NHL list.
"A big honor to be on that list," Ovechkin said. "Kind of happy, but still a long way to go."
WATCH: [All Predators vs. Capitals highlights]
Yannick Weber broke a tie with 4:37 remaining on a shot from the point after Ryan Johansen tied it 4-4 with a shorthanded goal at 3:00 of the third period for Nashville (22-19-7), which has won eight straight games against Washington since a 4-1 loss on March 18, 2016. Juuse Saros made 29 saves.
"It's definitely a good confidence boost tonight, knowing that when we stick together we can go and get the job done," Johansen said. "It's definitely a good reminder that when we stick together, we can be successful."

Richard Panik had two goals and Tom Wilson also scored for Washington (34-11-5), which had won four in a row. Braden Holtby made 19 saves.
"However it happens, to go into the third period with a lead and lose it, and especially how we lost, it was disappointing for sure," Capitals coach Todd Reirden said.
Panik gave Washington a 1-0 with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 9:28 of the first period.
Jarred Tinordi's first NHL goal tied it 1-1 with a one-timer from beyond the left circle at 10:15 off a pass from Filip Forsberg.
"Obviously, it was a good pass by [Forsberg]; he kind of left it on a platter for me and I shot it," Tinordi said. "I didn't quite see it go in. I just saw him coming in for the big hug, so that was nice."
Mikael Granlund gave the Predators a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 12:52, and Rocco Grimaldi made it 3-1 when he slid the puck between Holtby's pads at 16:02.
Ovechkin scored No. 693 at 16:26 of the first period after Saros was unable to handle Nick Jensen's dump-in from center ice to make it 3-2.
The Capitals tied it 3-3 when Nick Bonino accidentally put the puck in his own net at 6:01 of the second. Panik was credited with the goal.
Wilson gave Washington a 4-3 lead when he knocked in a rebound at 11:06 of the second period during a power play.
Johansen tied it shorthanded when he intercepted Holtby's pass at center ice, skated into the Capitals zone and scored with a wrist shot from the right circle.
"Obviously you want to win it, but the second [goal] was, can we come out of this game win or lose with some identity of pushback and getting through those situations?" Predators coach John Hynes said. "I really like the fact that we were able to stay with it and get rewarded for it."
It was the fourth shorthanded goal the Capitals have allowed in their past seven games.
"I just didn't see him there," Holtby said. "Just bad awareness there. Trying to do too much, I guess. … Just a play that can't happen. That's what killed us."

They said it

"Being up 3-1 and them coming back, especially with just the way the goals were going in, just crazy bounces, I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. That could've been a time where we could've been frustrated like, 'You've got to be kidding me? Here we go again.' But I thought we came out in the third period and we took it to them for most of that period. I thought it was a good job, a good response for our team." -- Predators forward Rocco Grimaldi

"Obviously when you get some breaks to go our way, you want to make sure that you don't give it right back to them. That's what I did tonight. I felt like we had a really strong game and it's frustrating, but you move forward." -- Capitals goalie Braden Holtby

Need to know

Tinordi, a first-round pick (No. 22) by the Montreal Canadiens at the 2010 NHL Draft, was playing his 61st NHL game. He grew up in the Washington area and had family and friends in attendance. His father, Mark, played for the Capitals from 1994-99. … Forsberg had two assists and has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past seven games. … Capitals forward Jakub Vrana's nine-game point streak ended (eight goals, three assists). … Ovechkin wore No. 24 during warmups to honor former NBA star Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash Sunday.

What's next

Predators: At the New Jersey Devils on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVAS, NHL.TV)
Capitals: At the Ottawa Senators on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN5, RDS, NBCSWA, NHL.TV)