MONTREAL -- Alex Ovechkin scored another goal, his second in as many games, but mostly played the role of a passenger in Washington's 5-1 victory at Bell Centre on Monday night because he just didn't have to be great.
The Capitals as a team were dominant, and on those kinds of nights Ovechkin may have the most fun of all. He enjoys scoring, but also likes to see respected teammates like Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon, Eric Fehr and Matt Bradley put pucks into the net.
All four did just that in Game 3. Here's what Ovechkin had to say about it all:
Q: After a first period when both teams were feeling each other out, how important was it for you guys to get that first goal, and you also get it when they're on the power play?
Ovechkin: Well, I think it doesn't matter when you score -- shorthanded, 5-on-5 or power play. When you get the first goal after that you just feel good.
Q: Did you feel like you guys were feeding off the energy in the building that was meant for them?
Ovechkin: Yeah, I think the whole team loves to play here. It's a good atmosphere, unbelievable crowd. So, we just use their fans like our fans.
Q: Do you get pumped up when you hear them chanting your name and booing you every time you touch the puck?
Ovechkin: I don't hear it. I just concentrate on where the puck is, where is my guy, and I just play the hockey game. Theo told me they scream my name, but that's good.
Q: You got contributions throughout the lineup tonight. How important is that?
Ovechkin: Yeah. I think how we play in the second period, mentally it's very important for us. We just got pucks in deep, finished checks and most important thing, we scored goals.
Q: The way you guys got to Jaro (Halak) in the second period, does that mean you were right about him, that he is nervous?
Ovechkin: I don't know about this game. I didn't see a replay if he was shaking or not. But, you know, we score three goals and they have to make some changes, the same as we did in the second game. It worked for us but for them it didn't.
Q: Is this the complete game that you guys were waiting for?
Ovechkin: For the whole game I think we played it well, but we have to push on. Bruce (Boudreau) said we have 15 minutes to enjoy it and after that we forget it and concentrate on the next game.
Q: What did you think of the killer instinct you guys showed in the second period?
Ovechkin: We have to play like that. I think (Jason) Chimera do an unbelievable job. He was all over the place. He was just doing his job. He had chances, but didn't score. I think different guys do their jobs, too. They did their own jobs.
Q: Were you surprised how wide open you were on your goal?
Ovechkin: You know, we play hockey and you have to find the space. I find the space and Nicky (Backstrom) gave me a perfect pass.
Q: What was the biggest adjustment you guys made between the first and second periods to really open the flood gates?
Ovechkin: We just took the pressure off. When Varly (Semyon Varlamov) made some big saves we felt comfortable, felt great, and I think our D did an unbelievable job against their best line. They stayed closed, didn't give them space, and we won the game.
Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl
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