Washington 3, Phoenix 2
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 8, 2014
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia
Referees:
Ghislain Hebert, Tim Peel
Linesmen:
Brian Murphy, Tim Nowak
Attendance:
18506
By SportsDirect Inc.
Capitals 3, Coyotes 2: Troy Brouwer scored on the power play with 5:13 to play in the third period to cap a stunning third-period comeback and snap host Washington's three-game winless streak.
Defenseman Karl Alzner and Brooks Laich scored 32 seconds apart midway through the third before Brouwer connected on a rebound - the third goal in a span of 5:02 - as the Capitals erased a two-goal deficit to give Jaroslav Halak the victory in his Washington debut. Halak, traded twice within the past week, turned aside 31 shots to reach 25 wins for the fourth time in five seasons.
Brandon McMillan and Radim Vrbata notched goals for Phoenix, which carried a 2-0 lead into the final 20 minutes before losing for the 10th time in its last 11 road games (1-6-4). Defenseman Keith Yandle collected a pair of assists and Mike Smith finished with 30 saves for the Coyotes, who fell to 2-4-1 in their last seven overall.
Phoenix took a 2-0 lead on the power play 3:20 into the second period as defenseman Michael Stone's straight-on blast trickled between the pads of Halak before Vrbata poked it across the goal line for his third tally in two games. Washington stormed back in the third, when Alzner beat a screened Smith from the left point at 9:45 and Laich converted a one-timer to tie it at 2-2, setting the stage for Brouwer's game-winner.
Phoenix had an apparent goal waved off 12 minutes into the contest as the referee determined that McMillan pushed Halak's pad and the puck across the goal line. McMillan got it back with 62 seconds left in the session, when he was sprung ahead of the defense during a line change by Yandle and beat Halak from the left faceoff circle for his first goal since April 9, 2011.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Yandle registered his 200th career assist on Vrbata's goal, but Phoenix lost for only the third time in 11 games this season (8-2-1) when he registered multiple points in a game. ... D Rostislav Klesla, who was traded by Phoenix to Washington before the Capitals shipped him to Buffalo, said he will not report to the Sabres and plans to continue his career in Europe next season. ... The Capitals signed highly touted prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov, a 2010 first-round pick who spent the last five seasons playing in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. Kuznetsov will skate with the team at Sunday's practice.
Top Game Performances
| Phoenix |
|
Washington |
|
Keith Yandle 2 |
Points |
Karl Alzner 1 |
|
Brandon McMillan 1 |
Goals |
Karl Alzner 1 |
|
Keith Yandle 2 |
Assists |
Nicklas Backstrom 1 |
|
Radim Vrbata 1 |
Power Play Goals |
Troy Brouwer 1 |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Mike Smith .909 |
Save Percentage |
Jaroslav Halak .939 |
|
Mike Smith 30 |
Saves |
Jaroslav Halak 31 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Phoenix
|
33 |
2 |
1-3 |
1-2 |
4 |
33 |
| Washington
|
33 |
3 |
1-2 |
2-3 |
6 |
26 |
Upcoming Games
-
Washington will play their next game at home against Pittsburgh. The Capitals have a W/L % of .517 after a win and .417 after a loss.
-
Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Tampa Bay. The Coyotes have a W/L % of .400 after a win and .500 after a loss.
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