Alex Ovechkin had an assist in what might have been his final NHL game, Jakob Chychrun scored the go-ahead goal and the Washington Capitals beat the host Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 in the season finale for teams that will not be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Chychrun took a pass at the center point from Tom Wilson during a power play, skated down the slot and beat Jet Greaves with a wrist shot for his 26th goal of the season with about four minutes left in regulation.
The secondary assist went to Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer who has completed his 21st NHL season and a five-year contract. The 40-year-old left wing, who has scored 929 regular-season goals, said recently he will not make a decision regarding his future until the offseason.
Anthony Beauvillier also scored for the Capitals (43-30-9, 95 points), who closed with a four-game winning streak. Clay Stevenson made 27 saves.
Ovechkin became just the fifth player in NHL history to play all 82 games at age 40 or older and the first since Jaromir Jagr in 2016-17.
Boone Jenner scored for Columbus (40-30-12, 92 points), which lost three of four to end the season. Greaves made 19 saves.
Washington will look back with regret on Jan. 1-27, during which the team went 4-8-2. Columbus seemed well-positioned for the postseason until an 0-5-1 stretch in late March-early April.
Washington swept the season series 4-0.
After outshooting Washington 11-4 in a scoreless first period, Jenner gave Columbus a 1-0 lead just 27 seconds into the second period. Mason Marchment entered the zone, carried into the left circle and passed to Jenner, who scored on a wrist shot from the edge of the circle.
Beauvillier tied it at 10:46 when he took a stretch pass from Trevor van Riemsdyk, came in alone on Greaves, deked and slid the puck past the goaltender’s right skate.
