Johansson powers Capitals to OT win vs. Sabres
WASHINGTON -- Marcus Johansson scored in overtime to cap a two-goal performance as the Washington Capitals rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
Johansson's slap shot with 2:38 left in the extra session snapped a three-game losing streak for the Capitals (14-7-3). The final tally came after he tipped a John Carlson perimeter shot in for the tying goal with 6:18 left in the third period.
Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo each scored for the Sabres (9-10-6), who led 2-1 after two periods. Goaltender Robin Lehner stymied the slumping Capitals early, but finished with 30 saves.
Jay Beagle scored Washington's first goal in the second period, but Okposo countered with the go-ahead goal with 4:37 remaining for a 2-1 lead.
Braden Holtby finished with 31 saves for Washington, which hadn't won since defeating Buffalo 3-1 on Nov. 25. The Capitals, who finished second last season in goals scored, had only three goals over the previous three losses - with just one coming in Saturday's 2-1 shootout setback against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Washington entered Monday tied for 18th with 2.52 goals per game.
The Sabres were without Jack Eichel in the previous meeting against the Capitals, but they welcomed their star center back for their next game and promptly took two of three before the rematch. However, Buffalo lacked its usual rotation on the blue line Monday with multiple defenders out, including Taylor Fedun (shoulder).
Buffalo opened the scoring as Derek Grant fed a rushing Girgensons for a one-on-one breakaway. With an open path, Girgensons beat Holtby with a backhand shot at 5:59 of the opening period for his second goal of the season and first since Oct. 18.
Beagle's fifth goal on the year tied the score 1-1 just 5:23 into the second period. It appeared the Sabres regained the lead later in the period, but a score by Johan Larsson was waved off after officials called offsides following a replay review.
Less than a minute later, Buffalo took the lead as Okposo gobbled up a rebound in front of the net and lifted the puck past a prone Holtby.
NOTES: Capitals RW T.J. Oshie (shoulder) missed his seventh consecutive game. RW Brett Connolly, who scored a goal in the win against Buffalo last month, was also scratched. ... With D Taylor Fedun out, Buffalo recalled D Erik Burgdoerfer from the AHL's Rochester Americans. The move came a day after the Sabres declared D Josh Gorges out for several weeks with a non-displaced fracture of a bone in his foot. D Zach Bogosian was also scratched. ... The season series wraps up Friday in Buffalo. ... The Sabres host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. ... The Boston Bruins visit Washington on Wednesday.