Fleury watched from the bench while Wild teammate Filip Gustavsson made three of his 28 saves against Ovechkin to slow his quest to catch Gretzky. Ovechkin finished with 11 shot attempts, but finding open ice against the defensive attention he received from the Wild was difficult.
Ovechkin had five of his attempts blocked, including two off right circle face-off plays in the third period when the Capitals were trailing 3-2 and pressing for the tying goal.
“I think everyone knows that we’re doing that,” Capitals center Dylan Strome said. “It’s a tough shot to get off. For me, it’s a little easier for me to win the draw against a righty going back that way anyway, but it’s a tough play. It’s a tough play to get…