ERIK GUSTAFSSON

Alex Ovechkin had a hat trick to lead the Washington Capitals to a 9-2 rout of the Montreal Canadiens.

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane likely will miss their game against Detroit because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

Anthony Mantha had a two points in his Washington debut, Alex Ovechkin scored the 728th goal of his NHL career and the Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1.

All divisional play through the first two rounds of the playoffs made a major impact at the NHL trade deadline.

Philadelphia Flyers' James van Riemsdyk celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, in Philadelphia. With Gritty thrusting his bulbous belly from his sofa, the Flyers turned Patrick and Lindblom's homecoming into a meaningful victory. Jankowski, who scored just five goals last season, scored the first one of this season 5:12 into the game. Farabee had assists on van Riemsdyk, Patrick and Hayes’ goals. UP NEXTThe Penguins and Flyers play again Friday in Philly as part of a packed, 56-game schedule necessitated by the pandemic.

PITTSBURGH, PA – Penguins star Sidney Crosby will be out at least six weeks after what the team said was a successful core muscle injury repair Thursday. General manager Jim Rutherford says the procedure was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. The 32-year-old Crosby leads the team in scoring with five goals and 12 assists in 17 games despite dealing with a sports hernia since training camp. The two-time MVP left a 3-2 shootout win over Chicago on Nov. 9 in the third period. He got tangled up with Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson and moments later took a shot from Gustafsson that smacked off his right foot.