CALGARY — Defenceman John Carlson’s two goals paced the Washington Capitals to a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Carlson scored and added an empty-netter for an NHL-leading 20 points (five goals, 15 assists.)
Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist and Tom Wilson also scored for Washington (7-2-2), while Chandler Stephenson got the credit on a Flames own-goal.
Braden Holtby posted 32 saves for the win.
Elias Lindholm with his team-leading sixth goal, Tobias Rieder and Austin Czarnik countered for the Flames (5-5-1).
Cam Talbot stopped 25 shots in his second straight start of the season for Calgary.
The Capitals won their fourth in a row while the Flames suffered their first loss in regulation at home this season.
Rieder scored with 16 seconds remaining in the game after Carlson’s empty-net goal at 18:15.
Wilson made it 4-2 on a feed from Lars Eller to beat Talbot under his left pad at 12:34 of the third period.
Ten seconds after Czarnik pulled the Flames even at 2-2 in the second, Ovechkin quieted the Saddledome with a go-ahead goal at 16:35.
The Caps’ captain took a backhand dish from Nicklas Backstrom on a two-on-one and wired the puck home for his seventh goal of the season.
Czarnik scored his first by pouncing on a loose puck and sweeping it past Holtby during a goal-mouth scramble for a T.J. Brodie rebound.
Trailing after two quick Washington goals in the first three minutes of the second period, Lindholm halved the deficit with a power-play goal at 3:19.
The Swede wristed a cross-ice feed from Johnny Gaudreau over Holtby’s glove.
Stephenson’s centring pass from behind Calgary’s net deflected off Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson and into the host team’s net at 2:41.
Talbot mishandled Carlson’s off-speed shot from the boards for Washington’s first goal of the game 35 seconds into the period.
Calgary outshot the Caps 15-9 in a scoreless first period.
Washington was held scoreless on three power-play chances. Calgary went 1-for-4.
The Flames are home to the Florida Panthers and Washington continues on the road against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.
Notes
Carlson is five points back of Kevin Hatcher (426) for the third-most points by a Capitals defenceman in franchise history. … Ovechkin is four goals from passing Luc Robitaille (668) for 12th in all-time NHL scoring. … Flames forward Sam Bennett was scratched a second straight game with an undisclosed injury.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2019.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press