Capitals 2, Hurricanes 1 (OT)
WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored his league-leading 42nd goal with 3:22 left in overtime, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 Tuesday night.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, behind the end line, fed out in front to Ovechkin, who fired high over the right shoulder of Carolina goalie Eddie Lack for the game-winner.
Ovechkin had gone without a goal in his last five games, his longest slump of the season.
With the win, Washington (50-14-5) clinched a playoff spot.
Washington's Justin Williams and Carolina's Jordan Staal traded second-period goals.
Braden Holtby, setting a Capitals record for regular-season wins with 42, stopped 25 shots. Lack made 29 saves.
Carolina (31-26-13) began play five points out of the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Hurricanes have picked up at least a point in each of their past six games (3-0-3).
The Capitals have now scored three goals or fewer in each of their past 12 games, and coach Barry Trotz made some line changes.
Right winger Jay Beagle joined Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on the top line, with T.J. Oshie moving to the second line with Andre Burakovsky and Kuznetsov. That put right winger Williams alongside Jason Chimera and Marcus Johansson.
Backstrom nearly gave the Capitals an early 1-0 lead, but his rebound attempt of an Ovechkin shot caromed off the crossbar at 2:26 of what ended up a scoreless first period.
Washington went up 1-0 at 1:30 of the second period when Chimera centered the puck from the left corner, and Williams, a former Hurricane, redirected it past Lack for his 21st goal.
The Hurricanes tied it on a great individual effort by Staal. He carried into the Washington zone and with a defender draped on him, then tried to shoot. The Capitals were unable to control the loose puck, but Staal eventually did and went top shelf on Holtby at 10:50.
NOTES: The Capitals began the night 12 points ahead of the Stars and Blues in the NHL points race. ... Carolina recalled D Trevor Carrick from Charlotte of the American Hockey League. ... D Ron Hainsey was scratched for Carolina. ... The Hurricanes began play having killed off 32 of their last 35 penalties (91.4 percent). ... The Capitals last lost three straight regular-season games from Feb. 22 to Feb. 27, 2015. ... Washington RW Stanislav Galiev, C Michael Latta and D Mike Weber were scratched. ... The Hurricanes continue their five-game road swing Thursday at Pittsburgh.