Jets 2, Capitals 1
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele ripped home the winning goal with just 20 seconds left in overtime as the Jets beat the red-hot Washington Capitals 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Scheifele took a pass from defenseman Jacob Trouba and beat Washington goalie Braden Holtby for his 10th goal of the season.
The Capitals challenged the play, suggesting Jets right winger Blake Wheeler was offside on the play before the goal. After an extended delay, the challenge was dismissed.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck picked up his third consecutive victory in just three NHL starts, stopping 37 shots. Hellebuyck earned his first career win eight days ago against the host Minnesota Wild and was between the pipes in a rout of the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Holtby made 34 saves for the visitors.
The Jets snapped Washington's six-game winning streak. The Capitals were 8-1-1 in their last 10 before arriving in Winnipeg. Holtby had a personal eight-game winning streak stopped cold.
The clubs traded power play goals during regulation time.
Left winger and team captain Andrew Ladd fired his seventh goal of the season late in the first period for the Jets.
Washington center Nicklas Backstrom scored his eighth goal of the season in the second period to even the contest 1-1.
After a scoreless third, the Capitals dominated overtime and Hellebuyck stopped Ovechkin three times in overtime, including a terrific stop on a partial breakaway with just over a minute left.
Washington coach Barry Trotz, who hails from the small Manitoba city of Dauphin, still needs one victory to get to 621 and pass Bryan Murray for 10th place on the NHL all-time coaching wins list.
The first period was all Jets or, more accurately, all Holtby, who made 16 straight stops, including a couple of dandies with Winnipeg enjoying three power plays, including a five-on-three.
Late in the opening frame, Washington center Michael Latta's leg caught Scheifele in the knee, Trouba immediately went after Latta and the gloves came off. Just a few feet away, several players scrummed and the Jets wound up with their fourth on a power play.
Finally, Ladd solved Holtby with just seven seconds left in the period, snapping a rebound to the top corner on the club's 17th shot. Center Bryan Little and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien drew the assists.
The Capitals registered a power play goal of their own at 14:25 of the second period when Backstrom's wrist shot from the faceoff dot glanced off Hellebuyck's shoulder and went in. Defenseman John Carlson and left winger Andre Burakovsky set up the tying goal.
Both goaltenders were sound in a scoreless third period to set the stage for overtime.
The Jets have just 24 hours to prepare for another difficult test as they head to Chicago to battle the Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon.
Washington hosts the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night before heading out on another three-game road trip.
NOTES: Washington D Brooks Orpik missed his 11th straight game because of a lower-body injury. LW Marcus Johansson was a game-time decision, but did not play after getting hurt Thursday in Montreal. RW Chris Brown was a healthy scratch. ... Jets top goalie Ondrej Pavelec is out at least another four weeks after sustaining a lower-body injury late in November. D Adam Pardy, D Paul Postma and RW Joel Armia were healthy scratches for Winnipeg. ... Capitals D Karl Alzner played his 400th consecutive NHL game Thursday in Montreal. He has not missed a regular-season game since the 2009-10 campaign. ... Jets C Mark Scheifele, the club's first draft pick upon their move to Winnipeg in 2011, recorded his 100th NHL point on Wednesday in a 6-1 win over Toronto. ... Capitals coach Barry Trotz hails from the central Manitoba city of Dauphin, population 8,250.