Ovechkin gets goal, 2 assists to help Capitals ease past Blue Jackets

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists in his third straight multipoint game, helping the Washington Capitals to a 7-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Capital One Arena on Saturday.

Ovechkin scored his fourth goal in three games and has 859 for his NHL career. He needs 36 goals to pass Wayne Gretzky (894) for first on the all-time list.

“I told [forward Taylor Raddysh] that when he (Ovechkin) scores, he scores in bunches, so be ready,” Washington forward Dylan Strome said. “That was three games ago. He just finds a way to get open. He has obviously a great shot. Try to pass to him as much as you can. It’s fun to play with him.”

Connor McMichael scored twice, Strome had a goal and two assists, and Aliaksei Protas had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (8-2-0), who have won six straight home games. Logan Thompson made 34 saves.

Washington scored the first five goals of the game, all in the first period.

“I thought we just came out, we were all over them,” McMichael said. “Didn’t give them any time and space, and thankfully a couple dropped early and we were just able to take over the game.”

Damon Severson and Kevin Labanc scored for the Blue Jackets (5-5-1), who lost to the Winnipeg Jets 6-2 on Friday. Daniil Tarasov made 15 saves.

“When you get down early you all of a sudden think you have to open it up and be a little more offensive and try to score goals,” Columbus coach Dean Evason said, “as opposed to staying sound and simple and allow that to translate into offense."

Protas gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 56 seconds, knocking in a return pass from Strome on a 2-on-0 rush.

McMichael made it 2-0 at 1:42, scoring on a wrist shot from the right face-off circle off a pass from Rasmus Sandin.

McMichael has seven goals in 10 games this season after scoring 18 in 80 games last season.

“For the most part it’s confidence,” McMichael said of his success this season. “I just feel like when I’m around the net I have a lot more confidence of trying to beat the goalie.”

Andrew Mangiapane increased the lead to 3-0 at 7:28 on the rebound of Jakub Vrana’s shot.

Ovechkin made it 4-0 at 14:34, scoring through the five-hole with a slap shot from above the left circle off a pass from Strome.

Nic Dowd gave the Capitals a 5-0 lead at 14:58 when he knocked in a pass from Trevor van Riemsdyk on the rush.

“We just got down early and they kept coming with the pressure, and we just didn’t bring anything back to the game at that point,” Severson said. “Obviously it’s 5-0 after one. The game definitely wasn’t over, but it was tough to come back from that.”

Severson cut it to 5-1 at 49 seconds of the second period when his wrist shot trickled between Thompson’s pads.

McMichael pushed the Washington lead to 6-1 at 4:51. Tarasov made the initial save on Tom Wilson’s shot from the left circle a 2-on-1, but McMichael banked the rebound in off Columbus defenseman David Jiricek in the crease for his fourth goal in three games.

“The ones we gave up were 3-on-1s, 2-on-1s,” Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson said. “Second wave is what beat us back to the net all night, and you can’t let that happen in the NHL.”

Labanc pulled the Blue Jackets within 6-2 at 14:36 after a video review determined the puck had crossed the line during a scramble in front.

Strome scored with 1:26 remaining in the third period off a pass from Ovechkin for the 7-2 final.

“What I like today is he led the charge from the start,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said of Strome. “I thought his first period was outstanding. And he made not just the two plays he was involved in that result in goals, it was four or five different plays without the puck.”

NOTES: Ovechkin has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past three games. … Strome leads the Capitals in assists (12) and points (16), and has had at least one point in nine of Washington’s 10 games. … Protas has seven points (three goals, four assists) during a three-game point streak. … Columbus center Sean Kuraly won 11 of 13 face-offs (85 percent). … The Capitals were 0-for-1 on the power play, making the Blue Jackets 13-for-15 on the penalty kill in their past six games.