Justin Sourdif Shines in Five-Point Game, Leading Ducks to Their Sixth Straight Loss
Caps’ Sourdif Shines with Hat Trick in 7-4 Victory Over Ducks
WASHINGTON — Justin Sourdif showcased an exceptional performance, scoring his first NHL hat trick and contributing two assists, leading the Washington Capitals to a resounding 7-4 victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.
Sourdif’s standout night was complemented by two goals from Alex Ovechkin, a goal and an assist from Ryan Leonard, and a goal from John Carlson. Connor McMichael excelled as well, providing four assists. Goalie Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves, helping the Capitals snap a two-game losing streak.
The Ducks, now on a six-game losing streak, saw goals from Chris Kreider, Alex Killorn, Jacob Trouba, and Beckett Sennecke. Goaltender Petr Mrazek was replaced by Lukas Dostal after stopping 19 of 24 shots through two periods, while Dostal successfully faced three shots in the final frame.
Kreider set the game in motion with a goal just 6:33 into the first period, ending a 15-game goal drought. Sourdif quickly answered, scoring off a drop pass from McMichael, then netted another to give Washington a 2-1 lead heading into the second period.
The rookie continued to impress, assisting Leonard, who scored with a shot that deflected off Mrazek for a 3-1 advantage. Leonard reciprocated by setting up Sourdif for his hat trick goal shortly thereafter. Ovechkin’s wrist shot from the left circle marked his return to the scoresheet after a four-game goal drought.
With this hat trick, Sourdif becomes the ninth rookie in Capitals’ history to achieve this feat, the first since Ovechkin’s own hat trick against Anaheim on January 13, 2006.
Despite a spirited comeback in the third period, where the Ducks outshot Washington 17-5, they could not overcome the deficit. The Capitals played without Tom Wilson, named to Canada’s Olympic roster, and Aliaksei Protas, who is day-to-day with an injury.
