Alex Ovechkin scored the first playoff overtime goal of his NHL career to give the Washington Capitals a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Ovechkin downplayed it as “a goal is a goal,” but the OT winner put an exclamation point on a vintage performance by the 39-year-old winger, who also led Washington with seven hits and scored on the power play late in the first period.