Late goal pushes Blue Jackets past Capitals
WASHINGTON -- The Columbus Blue Jackets took advantage of a late penalty Sunday as Alexander Wennberg scored a power-play goal with 53.6 seconds left to defeat the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Sunday afternoon, beating their Metropolitan Division rivals for the second time in five days.
Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom was tagged with a controversial high-sticking penalty at 18:26 of the third period and the Blue Jackets utilized some nifty passing. Sam Gagner and Nick Foligno gave Wennberg a great look at an open goal for the game-winner.
With Columbus trailing 2-1 entering the third period, Brandon Dubinsky took advantage of a broken play and beat Washington goalie Braden Holtby with a nifty move to tie the score just 14 seconds into the period.
The Blue Jackets turned things over to goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who finished with 18 saves to extended Columbus' franchise-best start to 10-4-2.
The late penalty put a damper on a strong game from Backstrom, who scored a goal and assisted on one to provide Washington's offense.
With the score tied at 1 midway through the second period and the Capitals in the waning seconds of a power play, Backstrom patiently skated in the zone looking for an opportunity. He then fired a pass that deflected off the stick of Blue Jackets left winger Matt Calvert and right to Capitals winger Alexander Ovechkin, who blasted it past Bobrovsky to give Washington a 2-1 advantage.
It was the eighth point in the last four games for Backstrom, who has 17 points this season.
Backstrom put the Capitals on the board at 3:11 of the first period with an innocuous shot that utilized a perfect screen by left winger Marcus Johansson. Briefly blinded as Johansson skated by, Bobrovsky allowed the soft puck to go right through the five-hole for a 1-0 Washington lead.
Columbus found the equalizer in the second period thanks to another fortuitous bounce. With Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik in the box for interference, the Blue Jackets power-play unit quickly took advantage. Left winger Nick Foligno's pass through the crease deflected off the skate of Washington defenseman John Carlson and past Holtby to even the score at 6:07 of the period.
Columbus has played just three division games so far this season and won all of the them, beating the Capitals twice.
NOTES: RW T.J. Oshie (upper body injury) and C Lars Eller (upper body injury) were out of the lineup for the Capitals. Oshie has been classified as week-to-week with his injury. D Taylor Chorney was Washington's other scratch. ... Washington recalled C Paul Carey from AHL Hershey. He played in four games for the Capitals last season. ... Columbus recalled LW Markus Hannikainen from AHL Cleveland. He played in four games with the Blue Jackets last season. ... D Seth Jones (foot) practiced Saturday, and Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said Jones' return to the lineup could be sooner than expected. ... D Dalton Prout was Columbus' other scratch.