Capitals blow lead, still edge Jets
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The Washington Capitals ran into a couple of speed bumps on their way to the perfect road game, but they overcame a pair of late-game goals by the Winnipeg Jets to post a 3-2 victory Tuesday.
Center Jay Beagle took the air out of the MTS Centre with the winning marker with 30 seconds left.
The Jets outshot the Capitals 45-27. Washington goalie Braden Holtby made 43 saves for the win, while Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves.
Center Mark Scheifele pulled the Jets within 2-1 after some nice work down low by right winger Blake Wheeler. Scheifele then rifled home his own rebound past Holtby with just under seven minutes left to play.
Adam Lowry tied things up with his first of the season at the 17:35 mark when he was able to sneak behind the Capitals defense and outwait Holbty on a deke.
Despite the Jets enjoying a significant territorial edge in play over the first period, it was the Capitals that opened the scoring with just 44 seconds left in the first period. Following a botched Winnipeg breakout, defenseman Karl Alzner's shot from the point beat a screened Hellebuyck high to the glove side.
Much to the Jets' chagrin, the screen was provided by their own defenseman Ben Chiarot. The assists went to center Evgeny Kuznetsov and left winger Marcus Johansson.
Washington took a 2-0 lead when Kuznetsov carried the puck in -- seemingly in slow motion past Jets defenseman Paul Postma -- and centered it to Johansson, who was left alone in front of Hellebuyck. His shot slipped past the Jets goalie but didn't cross the goal line until Hellebuyck closed his legs while in the butterfly. His sixth goal of the year came at 8:15 of the second period.
The Caps nearly made it 3-0 with less than a minute to go in the second, after Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien's stick broke while attempting to make a pass from behind his net. It landed on Kuznetsov's stick just to the side of the net but Hellebuyck made the save.
NOTES: Jets D Mark Stuart is the latest in sick bay after suffering a lower-body injury on Sunday against Buffalo. Joining him in the press box are D Tyler Myers and C Marko Dano, who has yet to see any action since being recalled from the Manitoba Moose last week. ... Not in the line-up for Washington are D Taylor Chorney and LW Daniel Winnik. ... Winnipeg D Julian Melchiori is seeing his first action of the season. ... Capitals RW Alexander Ovechkin has 85 points against the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers franchise, more than against any other team. ... The bloom may be off the Jets' rose for the first time since relocating from Atlanta in 2011 as dozens and often hundreds of seats have been left unsold on the team's seat exchange for every home game this season.