Ovechkin back from injury with quick goal

The National staff

• Last Updated: November 18. 2009 11:09PM UAE / November 18. 2009 7:09PM GMT

Ovechkin scores after missing six games through injury. Mike Segar / Reuters

Alexander Ovechkin scored on his return from injury as the Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers 4-2 on Tuesday night.

The Russian winger, who had missed six games because of a strained left shoulder, buried his 15th goal in as many matches.

“It’s always nice when you get hurt and you come back and you score in the first period on your first shot,” Ovechkin said.

“You feel pretty good about yourself. After that I feel pretty cool. I was not afraid to take some hits and go into battle.”

One player who certainly had a battle was Matt Bradley.

He scored the Capitals’ game-winning goal after recovering from a fight with the Rangers’ Aaron Voros which left him needing six stitches over his left eye.

“If you’re ever going to get into a fight at the [right] time, I think that might’ve been one of them,” Bradley said.

“It didn’t bother me. I could feel the blood coming, but there is no pain or anything.

“It’s just one of those things that is more annoying than anything. You have to go in and get stitches and you have to miss five minutes.”

Marian Gaborik scored both of the Rangers’ goals.

Elsewhere, the “Battle of Onta-rio” lived up to its name as the Ottawa Senators beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in a game that featured four fights, including three in the first period.

The centre Mike Fisher scored twice, including the winner, as the Senators came from 2-1 down to claim the win.

“A lot of hard hits and fights. It was a physical game, back and forth and some good battles out there,” said Fisher,

Carey Price was the hero for the Montreal Canadiens, producing six shoot-out saves and allowing Maxim Lapierre the chance to score the winner in a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Earlier, the Canadiens’ Max Pacioretty and Andrei Kostitsyn swapped goals with Brandon Sutter and Jussi Jokinen of the Hurricanes.

The Nashville Predators upset the San Jose Sharks, winning 4-3 on the back of a goal and two assists each from Joel Ward and David Legwand.

“Mentally you know when you’re on the back end of a road trip, and your legs don’t give you everything you want,” the Sharks coach, Todd McLellan, said after three games on the road.

“Mentally you better be sharp, and we weren’t that one bit.”

Colorado’s Ryan Wilson got his first goal in the NHL as the Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 3-2.

* With agencies