Alex Ovechkin scored three goals, and Nicklas Backstrom added four assists as the Washington Capitals jumped out to a big lead early and defeated the visiting Detroit Red Wings 6-2 Tuesday night.

Ovechkin's three goals gave him points in 12 straight games, helping fill the absence of T.J. Oshie, out for the past 11 games (concussion). However, Oshie returned and scored a goal, and Brett Connolly and Travis Boyd also found the net.

Ovechkin leads the NHL with 25 goals. The multi-goal game was the 126th of his career, moving Ovechkin past Dino Ciccarelli into 10th place in NHL history.

Backstrom also helped with his four assists, getting helpers on the final four Washington goals. John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov both added two assists.

Goalie Braden Holtby made 35 saves in the win and carried a shutout into the third period before the Red Wings scored. The Capitals now have won three straight games.

Connolly made it 1-0 when he tipped a Carlson shot past Detroit goalie Jonathan Bernier 3:39 into the game for a power-play goal.

Boyd, who scored his first NHL goal in Washington's last game, stretched his streak to two games by taking a slick pass from Nic Dowd and scoring from the right side just past the midway mark of the first period.

Ovechkin then made it 3-0 in the first when he fired a shot that appeared to be going wide but hit a Detroit player, quickly changed direction and went in with 7:01 left.

Ovechkin and Oshie teamed up for two goals just 61 seconds apart midway through the second period. The first one went to Ovechkin at 9:05 before Oshie celebrated his return with a power-play goal 10:06 into the period, giving the Capitals a 5-0 lead.

That ended Bernier's night, and Jimmy Howard came on to replace him. Bernier stopped 10 of 15 shots; Howard 9 of 10.

Dylan Larkin broke up Holtby's hopes for a second consecutive shutout when he scored 1:03 into the third period. Ovechkin then completed his hat trick at the 9:33 mark with a shot that Howard stopped, but the puck trickled through.

Gustav Nyquist also scored for the Red Wings later in the period and finished with a goal and an assist.

--Field Level Media