Capitals 2, Panthers 1
SUNRISE, Fla. - Evgeny Kuznetsov scored with 1:16 left in overtime to lead the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night at the BB&T Center.
Kuznetsov beat Panthers goalie Al Montoya between his pads for his fifth goal of the season. Montoya got his stick on the puck but could not stop it from getting past him.
It was the first three-on-three overtime at the BB&T Center, and Kuznetsov was all alone on the play.
The game was a battle between back goalies - Montoya for Florida and rookie Philipp Grubauer for Washington. Grubauer improved to 2-0-0 this season. Montoya is 2-0-1.
Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin, who last season led the NHL in goals for the fifth time in his career, did not score on Florida on Saturday, although he did have two assists.
Washington improved to 8-2-0. Florida is 5-4-2.
Florida opened the scoring with 2:47 elapsed in the second period. The play started with four seconds left in a Capitals' power play. That's when Ovechkin unleashed a fearsome slap shot that Panthers defenseman Alex Petrovic went down to block with his right leg.
That block created a carom headed the other way. Panthers center Dave Bolland fed a bouncing pass to left winger Jussi Jokinen, who mishandled it at first before beating Grubauer top shelf. It was Jokinen's third goal of the season.
Petrovic, who limped off the ice, got a painful assist on the play. Bolland had the primary assist.
On the play, Ovechkin skated back initially but then pulled up, which led to the Florida goal.
Jokinen nearly put Florida ahead 2-0 midway through the second period, but his shot went off the right post.
Washington, after surviving that close call, tied the score 1-1 on a goal by center Jay Beagle with 17:37 left in the third period. The play started with Ovechkin's shot from the point that was defected. The spinning puck landed near Beagle, who barely got a stick on it as it crossed the line.
The Panthers challenged the goal, believing that Washington's right winger interfered with Montoya, holding his glove hand with his stick. The Panthers, though, lost the challenge.
NOTES: Washington's Braden Holtby, who led NHL goalies in games played (72) last season, was rested. ... Florida also rested its starting goalie, Roberto Luongo. ... Panthers RW Jaromir Jagr (ribs, groin) sat out his second straight game but hopes to return for Florida's next game, Wednesday at Anaheim. ... Panthers C Aleksander Barkov (hand) was placed on injured reserve, and RW Rocco Grimaldi, 22, took his roster spot. Grimaldi was brought up from Portland of the American Hockey League. ... Panthers D Dmitry Kulikov, who had his nose broken on a penalized hit by Bruins LW Brad Marchand on Friday, played despite the injury. ... Panthers RW Logan Shaw's NHL debut on Friday night against the Bruins was uneventful. He didn't register a point (one shot) but did make three hits in 10:49 of ice time. He was a healthy scratch Saturday along with Panthers D Steven Kampfer. ... Washington scratched C Michael Latta, D Taylor Chorney and RW Stanislav Galiev.