Ovechkin records hat-trick as Capitals blitz Utah 7-4

SALT LAKE CITY — Thursday night's tilt between the Mammoth and Washington Capitals was one that featured everything great about the sport of hockey.

On top of 11 goals scored between both teams, tempers flared multiple times throughout the game, resulting in plenty of fights, late hits, and a lot of time spent in the penalty box.

In the end, though, the Capitals were able to overcome a chaotic game and get the best of Vitek Vanecek with a 7-4 win.

The future Hall of Famer and NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin, recorded his 34th career hat trick for Washington on Thursday. Ovechkin's teammate Ivan Miroshnichenko also recorded two goals in the win and opened the scoring near the start of the first period.

Dylan Guenther scored a pair of goals of his own for Utah, both coming in the first period as the Mammoth built up a two-goal lead that quickly disappeared in the second period.

"We need to be better at staying present and staying focused on what we have to do," Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny said. "We take leads, then we focus on the outcome we want instead of on what we have to do to keep playing well and paving our way. Instead, we focus on the outcome and get paralyzed."

Vanecek was in goal for Utah Thursday, taking the ice against his former team. The outing did not go well for Vanecek, who surrendered six goals and was pulled midway through the third period for Karel Vejmelka.

It was the second game in a row Tourigny had to pull his goaltender for poor performance; and at this point of the season, it's something the team doesn't want to see.

There was plenty of emotion shared between the two teams, with both trying to make the playoffs as the end of the season draws to a close. The Mammoth racked up 50 penalty minutes and the Capitals had 32.

Shortly after Miroshnichenko's first goal, MacKenzie Weegar and Anthony Beauvillier got mixed up near Vanecek, which resulted in both sides getting into it. Mikhail Sergachev dropped his stick and was ready to fight Ryan Leonard who declined to do so.

Weegar and Beauvillier were sent to the penalty box for roughing penalties, resulting in four-on-four play.

Washington's Dylan Strome was then called for a tripping penalty on Sergachev, which resulted in a four-on-three advantage for Utah. Guenther took advantage with a slap shot for the goal right after the first penalty ended for both teams.

Minutes later, Gunether scored his second goal — and 36th of the season — after finishing off a pass from Keller to get the shot past Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, once again.

The momentum had shifted in the Mammoth's direction, where the team kept its foot on the pedal.

The Capitals, feeling the shift, responded when Brandon Tanev laid a big hit on Matt Roy. Tom Wilson retaliated by jumping on Tanev from behind before the pair threw punches at one another. After being separated, the two exchanged chirps as they were escorted to the penalty box.

Tanev and Wilson each got a 10-minute misconduct, but Wilson was handed a four-minute roughing penalty, while Tanev received a two-minute boarding penalty. Ovechkin served the penalty for Washington, giving the Mammoth another man advantage.

It didn't take long for Logan Cooley to add another special teams goal when he swiped the puck into the net after getting his stick behind Thompson in the crease.

But Ovechkin scored two of his goals in the second period to help Washington erase the deficit and even things up going into the final period.

More fighting and late shots ramped up in the second and third periods, with Wilson continuing to find himself at the center of it. It didn't take Tanev and Wilson long to find themselves back in the penalty box due to more fighting and late hits.

"I am disappointed in the way we controlled our emotions," Tourigny said. "I am a big believer in team toughness, showing up for your teammates, and stuff like that. But there is a way to do it. We got carried away from there, and that cost us."

Recently signed Washington rookie defenseman Cole Hutson sent a shot towards the net on the power play, and it was Beauvillier who tipped it in for the goal.

Vanecek then surrendered another goal after he got too far out of the net to try and contest a shot attempt but was unable to recover in time, resulting in a goal from Rasmus Sandin.

After four unanswered goals, desperation started to creep in for the Mammoth. It was the perfect time for Weegar to score his first goal with Utah and he did so with a wrist shot to cut the lead in half.

The excitement was short-lived as Miroshnichenko scored his second goal of the game on a breakaway, leading Tourigny to pull the plug on Vanecek.

The Mammoth couldn't get anything going offensively, even after the goalie change and Ovechkin buried an empty-netter for the hat trick and to seal the game.

"It's a tough team to play against, tough environment to play in and it felt like we stepped up tonight," Beauvillier said.

Utah has seen their wild card lead shrink, with Nashville right on their heels for the top spot while another tilt with the Kings on Saturday looms large.

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