The Capitals' Alex Ovechkin delivered a questionable slash to the Penguins' Kris Letang during the third period of Washington's 3-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Ovechkin chased Letang into the Penguins end following a loose puck when he wound up and swung his stick into the defenceman's right leg and ankle. Letang lost his balance and crashed into the boards.

The play didn't draw a penalty, but left the Pittsburgh bench up in arms over what they believed to be a dirty play. Penguins coach Mike Johnston was visibly upset after no penalty was called. Fans threw beer on Ovechkin, who could be seen towelling off on the bench.

''You want to respond when a guy gets slashed like that, but to a certain point we've got to keep our emotion in check,'' Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said.

Despite the slash, Letang stayed in the game, but it certainly impacted Pittsburgh's play. The Penguins' attempts at retribution took away from their ability to beat the Capitals, contributing to the defeat.

Ovechkin didn't think anything was wrong with the play as he was trying to get the puck.

''I didn't think it was a penalty to be honest,'' Ovechkin said. ''The puck was in his feet. Take a shot and that's it.''

It was a good game for Ovechkin otherwise, as he recorded his league-leading 37th goal of the season and added an assist. The goal was his 17th on the power-play.

With files from The Associated Press