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Ovechkin, Capitals eye playoff berth

Mar 25, 2008 - 12:05 PM Washington (37-31-8) at Carolina (41-30-5) 7:00 pm EDT

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) - Alex Ovechkin has already had an unbelievable season. Now, he's trying to cap it all with a playoff appearance.

Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals continue their postseason pursuit on Tuesday when they visit the Southeast Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.

Washington (37-31-8) enters Tuesday's contest two points behind the Boston Bruins (37-28-10) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The 22-year-old Ovechkin kept his club in the playoff race Friday when he scored twice to lead the Capitals to a 5-3 comeback victory against the Atlanta Thrashers.

With the pair of tallies, the Russian superstar became the first player to score 60 goals in a season since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr both accomplished the feat with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1995-96 season.

He is one tally away from setting a new team record for goals in a season, a mark he currently shares with Dennis Maruk.

Ovechkin, whose previous career-high was 52 goals during his rookie campaign in 2005-06, leads the NHL with 102 points - four ahead of Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin.

The Hurricanes go for their fourth straight win on Tuesday after claiming a 2-1 shootout victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

Trevor Letowski scored the lone goal in regulation before Sergei Samsonov and Eric Staal scored in the shootout to lift Carolina to its 10th win in the last 13 meetings against the Panthers.