Capitals 4, Blue Jackets 3 (OT)
WASHINGTON -- Capitals right winger Alex Ovechkin had no luck through three periods against goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Washington's captain came through in overtime.
Ovechkin lifted the rebound of a Marcus Johansson shot over Bobrovsky 1 minutes, 34 seconds into overtime, giving the Capitals a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jackets.
Washington (10-8-1) improved to 8-2-1 in its past 11 games against the Blue Jackets.
Columbus (6-10-0) lost for the sixth time in seven games.
And it was in dramatic fashion.
The Blue Jackets rallied from a one-goal deficit in the third period to take a 3-2 lead on goals by right wingers Jared Boll and Cam Atkinson. However, Capitals center Mikhail Grabovski tied the score with 1:45 remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Defenseman John Carlson and right winger Joel Ward also scored for the Capitals, who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Center Brandon Dubinsky scored a short-handed goal for the Blue Jackets, who were looking for their second straight win against a Metropolitan Division opponent. Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 on Saturday.
After a scoreless and uneventful first period Tuesday, the teams traded goals in the second.
With the Capitals on the power play, Dubinsky hunted down Washington right winger Troy Brouwer behind the Washington net, stole the puck, swung around the front of the net and weaved past goaltender Braden Holtby to score on a backhand effort.
The goal, which came 7:50 into the second period, was Dubinsky's fifth of the season and his second while short-handed. It was also the Jackets' third short-handed goal of the season and the third allowed by the Capitals.
The Capitals nearly tied it on their next power play when Brouwer rang a shot off the left post.
Two shifts later, Carlson tied the score with his fourth goal in six games. Caps left wing Martin Erat, who is still looking for his first goal, did most of the work on the goal, driving past Columbus defenseman Dalton Prout and dishing the puck to Carlson just as goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky lunged toward him and left Carlson with an open net.
Holtby finished with 24 saves in the win. Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots.
NOTES: Capitals LW Martin Erat has no goals and six assists, his longest stretch to start an NHL season without a goal. ... During his career against the Capitals, Blue Jackets C Brandon Dubinsky has fought Capitals RW Alex Ovechkin, D Mike Green and D Steve Oleksy. ... The Capitals entered the game having gone 11 straight 5-on-3s without scoring a goal. ... Columbus RW Jared Boll is nine penalty minutes shy of 1,000 in his NHL career. ... The Capitals return to action Friday night in Detroit against the Red Wings before returning to Washington for consecutive games against the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. The Blue Jackets continue their two-game road trip Thursday night in Boston against the Bruins. They return home to face the Canadiens on Friday.
