COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Alex Ovechkin had an assist on the go-ahead goal in what perhaps will be the final game of his record-breaking career and the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Tuesday night in the season finale for both teams.
Ovechkin had the second assist on Jakob Chychrun’s power-play goal with 4:07 remaining in the third period. He finished the season leading the Capitals with 32 goals and 64 points
Anthony Beauvillier also scored for Washington and Clay Stevenson stopped 27 shots.
Boone Jenner scored for Columbus and Jet Greaves made 19 saves.
Ovechkin — the league’s all-time leading goal scorer with 929 — is in the final season of his contract and said he is waiting until after the season before deciding on his future.
The Capitals have failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for just the fifth time since Ovechkin was drafted in 2004.
The 40-year-old Russian became the fifth player age 40 or older in NHL history to play in all 82 regular-season games. The last one to do it was Jaromir Jagr with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17.
It is the fifth time in 21 seasons Ovechkin has not missed a regular-season game.
The Blue Jackets were in last place in the Eastern Conference when Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason as coach on Jan. 12.
Columbus went 18-2-4 in Bowness’ first 24 games and moved into a playoff spot after collecting a point in 12 straight games. The Blue Jackets went 3-9-1 down the stretch though and have missed the postseason for the sixth straight season.
Jenner snapped a shot from the slot that beat Stevenson on his blocker side 27 seconds into the second period.
Beauvillier evened it 10 minutes later when he got behind the Blue Jackets’ defense, took a long pass from Trevor Van Riemsdyk and beat Greaves with a wrist shot on the breakaway.
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