Capitals 4, Blue Jackets 3 (OT)
Jason Chimera scored the game-winner in overtime and John Carlson recorded a goal and an assist as the Washington Capitals edged the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-3, on Thursday.
Jason Arnott and Mike Knuble each added a goal and Michal Neuvirth finished with 21 saves for the Capitals (45-22-11), who pulled within a point of the Philadelphia Flyers (46-21-10) for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Chimera struck at the 2:30 mark of overtime, receiving the puck on the doorstep and stuffing it past Steve Mason’s skate. Brooks Laich and Carlson were given assists on the play.
Scottie Upshall knotted it at 3-3 for the Blue Jackets with 5:37 left when he took a feed from Derek MacKenzie and snapped his 22nd goal past Neuvirth on the high goal side.
The Capitals struck first, with Carlson’s backhander 1:39 into the first period giving them an early lead. Columbus began a wild two minutes at the 11:10 mark of the second period when Antoine Vermette’s 19th goal tied it at 1-1.
Knuble struck just over a minute later and Fedor Tyutin slapped one past Neuvirth less than a minute after that to make it 2-2. It took Arnott only 13 seconds to snap that tie when he wristed his 16th tally past Mason to make it 3-2 in favor of Washington.