Jan. 11 (UPI) — Alex Ovechkin flipped 6-foot-9 defenseman Zdeno Chara over the wall just three minutes into the Washington Capitals’ win against the Boston Bruins.
Chara landed in the Capitals’ bench during the first period tumble. Ovechkin also scored twice during the 4-2 triumph on Thursday at TD Garden in Boston.
The Capitals pushed the puck up the ice on the play until it found Chara on the right flank. The defenseman collected the puck and was facing the Caps’ bench when Ovechkin came flying in. The Capitals’ star drilled Chara from behind, pushing his large frame over the wall and sending his feet flying in the air.
Jakub Vrana gave Washington a 1-0 lead on a first period breakaway at 6:38. T. J. Oshie collected an assist on the play. Ryan Donato went on to tie the score with a wrist shot in the second period.
Oveckin gave the Capitals a 2-1 edge with a goal at 14:50 in the bridge frame. But David Krejci tied the score once more at 4:37 in the third frame. Nicklas Backstrom netted the go-ahead score 5:46 into the final period. Ovechkin added a cushion with the Capitals’ fourth tally into an empty net with 1:35 remaining.
The Capitals battle the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The Bruins face the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.