Harley scores in OT, Stars recover for victory against Capitals

DALLAS – Thomas Harley scored his second goal 3:26 into overtime, and the Dallas Stars recovered to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-4 at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Harley scored on a low shot from the right circle off a rush. It was his third overtime goal this season and second in as many games (also a 4-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday).

“This is a first. I like it,” Harley said. “I liked the Anaheim one more because I actually aimed that shot. This one, [Matt Duchene] made a great play on the backcheck, then got up the ice on a 3-on-2. [Duchene] then drove the net and took that [defenseman] with him, made a great pass, and I just put it on net.”

Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist, and Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for the Stars (30-13-6), who are 4-0-1 in their past five games. Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin each had two assists.

“I don’t think [winning in regulation] really matters at this point. At the end of the day, you’ve got to get those two points,” Marchment said. “It doesn’t really matter how you do it. You’ve just got to keep trying to play a full 60 as much as possible. Took us a little extra tonight, but that’s just how it goes sometimes.”

Anthony Mantha, Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome each had a goal and an assist, and Evgeny Kuznetsov had two assists for the Capitals (22-18-7), who have lost four straight (0-3-1). Charlie Lindgren made 30 saves.

“Wasn’t our best road trip, obviously. We got down a lot in the first three games (trailed 3-0 in all three) and in this game,” Strome said. “In the last three, we scored two goals late. I think it shows that we don’t quit and stick with it. The puck was just sitting there behind [Oettinger] on that last one. You never know when those points are going to come up and matter late in April. That’s where we want to be, battling for a playoff spot. Hopefully that point helps.”

Washington scored two goals 1:17 apart with the extra attacker to tie the game in the third period.

Ovechkin cut the lead to 4-3 at 18:00 with a slap shot from the point on the power play.

Strome then tied it 4-4 at 19:17 when he poked a rebound under Oettinger into the net. After a discussion, the officials decided the goal was the culmination of a continuous play despite blowing the whistle before the puck crossed the line.

“That huge finish. We didn’t lay down in a really difficult game. That’s a really good hockey team,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “Caused a lot of different issues for teams in general, but us as well. Credit our guys for not laying down and finding a way. Six-on-5 steps up huge, scores two goals to get that game to overtime. Would have liked to find a way to get that second point, but like I told them, that point could be very, very important down the road.”

Mantha gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 9:40 in the first period when he collected a rebound that bounced off Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää in the high slot.

Wyatt Johnston tied it 1-1 at 10:44, scoring from the high slot off a drop pass from Roope Hintz.

Harley gave the Stars a 2-1 lead at 11:07 with a shot through traffic from between the face-off circles.

Rasmus Sandin tied it 2-2 at 6:24 in the second period with a shot past Oettinger’s glove from the point.

“There are 60 minutes of hockey, and we didn’t play 60 minutes of great hockey,” Sandin said. “I think there are moments where we played pretty good, but too often and too much time of today where it’s not good enough, I think.”

Marchment gave the Stars a 3-2 lead at 11:00, tapping the puck five-hole from the top of the crease on the power play.

Duchene extended the lead to 4-2 at 2:24 in the third period when he beat Lindgren with a wrist shot off a drop pass from Marchment in the slot.

“This team is so easy to play with, everyone is so good and we’re so well coached,” Duchene said. “You just throw on the gear and go out there and take care of your business and you have success. It’s been a lot of fun so far. I’m really grateful to be a Dallas Star.”

NOTES: Harley tied Seguin (three in 2019-20) and John Klingberg (three in 2015-16) for the most overtime goals scored by a Stars/North Stars player in a single season. He is tied for fifth most goals by a defenseman this season (11). Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres (13) leads the NHL. … Strome has four goals in the past five games. ... Capitals forward Max Pacioretty left the game with a lower-body injury and did not return. According to Washington, the injury is not related to his recent Achilles issues.