Sportsnaut
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the shootout winner as the host Washington Capitals erased a two-goal deficit en route to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday.
Former Flames forward Matthew Phillips notched a goal and an assist, and Connor McMichael scored for the Capitals. Goalie Darcy Kuemper made 38 saves through overtime. In the shootout, he stopped Jonathan Huberdeau’s offering, while Yegor Sharangovich and Nazem Kadri hit iron.
Dillon Dube and Adam Ruzicka each collected a goal and an assist for the Flames, while Noah Hanifin posted two assists. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 21 shots through overtime.
Kuznetsov, the first player in the shootout, skated slowly toward the goal before lifting home the game winner, the only goal in the showdown.
The Capitals claimed their first win of the season after losing their opener to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it came with a gutsy effort.
With his team trailing 2-0 after Calgary dominated the opening period, Phillips, who was originally drafted by the Flames but received very little NHL opportunity with his hometown team despite being an AHL standout, put the Capitals on the board at 6:50 of the second period, redirected the crossing pass on a rush for his first NHL goal.
McMichael drew the hosts even a little more than three minutes later when his shot slightly deflected off a defender’s stick and eluded Markstrom for his first of the season.
The goaltenders held strong the rest of the way. Markstrom made a clutch glove save on TJ Oshie’s breakaway chance with a little more than six minutes remaining in regulation. Kuemper, who came up with gave-saving stops seconds before both of his team’s goals, denied Blake Coleman on a third-period penalty shot.
The Flames, who have opened a five-game road trip with two defeats, once again blew a lead. Ruzicka opened the scoring at the 4:47 mark. He was parked in the slot and buried the wide-open chance for his first of the season. It’s his first goal since Dec. 3, 2022, also against Washington, which snapped a 32-game goal drought.
Dube’s power-play goal, his first tally of the campaign, doubled the lead at 17:12 of the opening frame. Dube was at the doorstep when he deflected Noah Hanifin’s point shot.
–Field Level Media
