Caps Get Their Mojo Working in 3-2 OT Win over Sabres

Monday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres won't go down as the prettiest 62 minutes and 38 seconds of the hockey the Capitals have ever played. But Washington finished with a flourish, coming from behind to knot the game on Marcus Johansson's power-play goal in the third and winning it on Johansson's second overtime game-winner of the season.

The Capitals' 3-2 triumph over the Sabres halted a three-game slide (0-2-1) for Washington, preventing the team's first four game skid in nearly 23 months.

For the second time in as many games, the Caps' much maligned power play came up with a key third-period goal to enable Washington to get a point in a game it trailed heading into the final 20 minutes.

"It's always a big part of the game against this team," laments Buffalo coach Dan Bylsma. "Their power play is dangerous. I thought we did a good job of killing them off in the first period, but the second goal - the goal that they needed there with six minutes left [in the third] - is a direct result of the penalty kill.

"We had our chances on the power play. Late in the game there, we had a chance. We had one earlier as well, and weren't able to come up with it."

As Caps coach Barry Trotz put it afterwards, "It wasn't easy."

Buffalo broke the seal on the scoresheet first, getting a goal from its fourth line early in the first period. The Sabres broke out in transition, and two quick and crisp passes from Risto Ristolainen and then Derek Grant enabled Zemgus Girgensons to break into the Washington zone on a semi-breakaway and beat Caps goalie Braden Holtby with a backhander at 5:59 of the first.

The Caps had the advantage in territory and possession for most of the first half of the game, and they pulled even at 5:23 of the second when Jay Beagle deflected a Brooks Orpik shot from the left point to beat Buffalo goaltender Robin Lehner and make it a 1-1 game.

Beagle's goal ended a lengthy drought in which Washington had not scored a five-on-five goal in 115 minutes and 8 seconds of even strength time, dating back to the third period of a Nov. 26 game against the Maple Leafs in Toronto.

In the latter half of the second, the wheels came off the cart for the Caps. Washington's video coaches saved a goal when Buffalo's Johan Larsson scored on a rebound to make it 2-1 at 14:40. The Caps quickly challenged the goal, alleging that Larsson was offside on the play, and a video review confirmed that was that case.

But Buffalo kept the heat on in the Washington end, collapsing down low and creating all sorts of mayhem. A rare Matt Niskanen giveaway in front led to more pressure, and finally Kyle Okposo scored on a third opportunity after Holtby stopped a shot and Karl Alzner laid out to block the rebound, putting Buffalo back on top at 15:23 of the second period.

Okposo's goal came on the 11th unanswered shot on goal from the Sabres in a span of just 187 seconds. Perhaps even more unnerving was the fact that each of the last seven of those shots came from inside of 20 feet away.

"They started to come and started to throw pucks on net and create scrums," says Holtby. "We got caught watching a little bit. It's one of those things where you're trying so hard that you go into desperation mode a little too quick and get a little scrambly. But that's a good sign, it shows that we're trying.

"Even if they're taking it to us there, at least we're giving an effort, we're trying to keep pucks out of the net. If you get the effort, then you can work on details. It got better towards the rest of the game."

Washington came out with more jam in the third, but the Caps were forced to kill off an early penalty to Niskanen. Beagle and Lars Eller both had excellent scoring chances while the Caps were shorthanded, and those two shots on goal while Washington was down a man ended a stretch in which the Caps managed just two shots on net - both from defensemen and both from at least 45 or more feet away - in a span of 17 minutes and 30 seconds.

Facing a Buffalo defense that was missing four regulars, the Caps were getting plenty of zone time in the third, but it wasn't until Eller drew a hooking call on Evander Kane that the Caps were able to come up with the equalizer.

Justin Williams won the right dot face-off at the outset of the power play for Washington, drawing the puck back to John Carlson at the right point. Carlson crept in and fired a waist high drive from just above the top of the right circle, and Johansson was able to deftly drive by and deflect the puck past Lehner to make it a 2-2 game at 13:42, a mere five seconds after Kane had been seated.
Washington's penalty kill came up big one more time against Buffalo's seventh-ranked power play, killing off a Beagle tripping minor with 3:12 remaining to set the stage for Johansson's overtime heroics, his second extra session game winner in less than a month.

Johansson won the game for Washington on the Capitals' only shot of the overtime period. He executed a neutral zone regroup, regained the zone and left the puck for Evgeny Kuznetsov high on the right side. Kuznetsov dished to Dmitry Orlov above the left circle, and the Caps' defenseman carried to the circle, pump faked and went back against the grain to Johansson, who was locked and loaded near the right dot. Johansson's one-timer eluded Lehner on the short side, ending the game and Washington's brief losing spell.

"I think they got a little bit tired," says Johansson of the Sabres. "They got caught out for a little bit. I was actually a little bit tired, too.

"I think that Kuzy and Orly both made great plays to set that up, and I just tried to get it on net. I just tried to get it on net and it was a good feeling to see it go in."