Buffalo recalls Linus Ullmark from the Rochester Americans.
By Joe Yerdon / NHL.com Correspondent Buffalo Sabres Washington Capitals
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Alex Ovechkin scored his League-leading 35th goal and the 593rd of his NHL career to help the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday.
Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 1:18 of the second period when he deflected a shot by Christian Djoos. It’s the 10th time in 14 seasons he’s scored at least 35 goals.
Philipp Grubauer made 32 saves for the Capitals (34-18-7) who are 4-1-2 in their past seven games and moved into first place in the Metropolitan Division, one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins with two games in hand.
Kyle Okposo and Evander Kane scored and Chad Johnson made 27 saves for the Sabres (17-32-11) who have lost three straight games (0-2-1).
John Carlson gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead at 13:33 of the second period when his wraparound shot trickled over the goal line for his 11th goal.
The play was ruled no goal on the ice after Okposo kicked the puck away from the goal line, but video review showed the puck crossed the goal line.
Okposo made it 2-1 at 12:42 of the third period when a shot by Scott Wilson deflected off of him for his 10th goal.
Evgeny Kuznetsov added an empty-net goal at 19:34 of the third period to make it 3-1.
Kane scored his 19th goal after a set-up from Ryan O’Reilly at 19:56 to make it 3-2.
*NOTES — The Buffalo Sabres on Monday announced the team recalled goaltender Linus Ullmark from the Rochester Americans. Robin Lehner is listed on the injury report as day-to-day. Ullmark (24, 6-foot-4, 221 lbs.) joins the Sabres for his second recall of the season after stopping 44 of 45 shots faced in a 3-1 win vs. Columbus on Jan. 11 in his only NHL appearance of the season. He has recorded an 18-9-10 record in 36 AHL games this season, posting career-best numbers in save percentage (.924) and goals-against average (2.43) in his third AHL season. Selected by the Sabres in the sixth round (163rd overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Ullmark has a 9-11-2 record with a .918 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average in 22 career NHL games.