Caps' Late Rally Stokes Playoff Hope

ATLANTA, March 21 -- Alex Ovechkin scored two goals Friday night to become the first player in the NHL to score 60 in 12 years.

The biggest thrills, however, were supplied by his linemate, rookie center Nicklas Backstrom, who tallied twice in the final four minutes to rally the Capitals to a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers that preserved their hope of earning a spot in the playoffs.

"It was a big win for us," Ovechkin said. "It's always fun to score goals, especially when it's important goals. It was a very important goal for my team. Sixty is 60."

The comeback began with 8 minutes 30 seconds to play, when Ovechkin flipped a rebound over goalie Kari Lehtonen to cut the Thrashers' lead to 3-2. It was the 22-year-old Russian's second goal of the game and made him the first Capital to reach the 60-goal plateau since Dennis Maruk in 1981-82.

Ovechkin's historic tally also set the stage for a stunning turn of events in the final minutes.

"We started working," said Ovechkin, whose four-point night increased his league-leading point total to 106, equaling his career best. "It's all about work with our team."

As the Capitals poured it on late, Backstrom tied the game at 3 with four minutes remaining, firing a perfectly placed wrist shot from the slot over Lehtonen's glove. Washington peppered the Thrashers goalie with 22 shots in the final 20 minutes.

Backstrom scored again 32 seconds later to put Washington ahead, 4-3, with help from an Ovechkin assist. Boyd Gordon clinched it with an empty-net goal with eight seconds left.

"By Nicky's own admission, he's struggled a little bit the past few games," Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I though he was great in the third period. For a guy who mostly sets up goals, I thought that shot that made it 3-3 was a great shot."

The victory moved the Capitals within one point of Boston for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals have six games remaining, two less than the Bruins.

"We knew how difficult it would be if we didn't come home with two points in this game," Boudreau said. "It was going to be an uphill climb. Not that it already isn't."

Ovechkin became the first to achieve the milestone since Mario Lemieux scored 69 and Jaromir Jagr netted 62 during the 1995-96 season. But, in typical fashion, he deflected most questions about his achievements and praised his teammates. "We started to play like we wanted to win at the start of the third period," Ovechkin said. "Everybody push each other."