Caps goal leaves Gretzky in awe

When Wayne Gretzky admires a goal, that says something.

"That was pretty sweet," the Great One said after Alex Ovechkin led the Washington Capitals to a 6-1 rout of Coach Gretzky's Phoenix Coyotes on Monday in Glendale, Ariz. "You know, he's a phenomenal player, and he's been a tremendous influence in the game. It's great to see, because he is that good."

Ovechkin had two goals, the second on an amazing flick of the stick while rolling on the ice, and an assist, helping the Capitals win consecutive road games for the first time all season.

Ben Clymer and Matt Bradley had a goal and an assist each, and Dainius Zubrus and Brian Sutherby also scored for the Capitals, who improved to 6-13-1 away from home.

Ovechkin scored a fluke goal in the first period. He overcompensated in the third, when he beat Brian Boucher while sprawled on the ice, sliding toward the corner and rolling from his back to his chest.

Somehow, the 20-year-old Russian kept the net in mind after Coyotes defenseman Paul Mara knocked him down coming through the circle. Ovechkin sent the puck into the net at a sharp angle, handcuffing Boucher who stood up believing the threat was past, to score with 8:06 left.

"The best goal I ever scored," Ovechkin said. "I just went down and shot." "The kid's amazing," Washington goaltender Brent Johnson said. "I mean, he seems to be on the scoreboard every night with some unbelievable shots. He's got one of the best shots that I've ever seen in the game, and it's just one of the quickest releases."

Ovechkin has an NHL rookie-high 32 goals this season and five in two games. He had his first hat trick Friday at Anaheim.

Johnson, a backup, won that game and was rewarded with a second consecutive start. He had 21 saves this time.

"They guys just worked so hard out there," Johnson said about his defense. "They limited all their chances. I don't think they had one second shot, like a rebound opportunity."

Shane Doan had Phoenix's goal, scoring on a first-period power play. But that was it for the Coyotes, who had won twice in close games at Buffalo and Toronto on the heels of a five-game losing streak.

"It's a pretty low period right now," Mara said. "We had two fantastic games versus Buffalo and Toronto, and to come down tonight with that type of performance is unexplainable."