The Capitals trailed 2-0 less than three minutes into the game, but battled back for the 4-3 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, their first overtime win of the season.
Here are some observations from the game.
A rough start
When you are in a slump and looking for some confidence, a good start is important. The Caps, however, did not get the kind of start they hoped for as they found themselves down 2-0 less than three minutes in.
Dmitry Orlov was called for slashing just 22 seconds into the game. Kyle Connor did not waste much time with a power play goal 40 seconds later. Andrew Copp's shot missed the net and hit off the boards, but it bounced out to Connor on the opposite side and he fired the quick shot in.
Just over a minute later, Cole Perfetti buried a pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois to finish off the 2-on-1 rush and give Winnipeg the 2-0 lead.
Ovechkin wakes the team up
With the score 2-0, Ovechkin was obstructed in front of the net by Josh Morrissey. There was no call on the play and Ovechkin voiced his displeasure emphatically at the ref.
At that point, Ovechkin seemingly decided he had had enough. He was a force to be reckoned with and finally got Washington on the board late in the first.
Ovechkin tried to stickhandle his way through the defense, but the puck was swept away by defenseman Logan Stanley. Ovechkin kept moving in on the net. As the loose puck was swept back to Garnet Hathaway, both defensemen charged him. Ovechkin had glided in but alertly turned himself to set up for the one-timer. Hathaway managed to find him on the pass and Ovechkin fired the one-timer into the open net.
The goal is Ovechkin's 27th of the season and his 55th point of the season. He now leads the NHL in both categories. The goal is also No. 757 of his career, pulling him to within nine of Jaromir Jagr's mark of 766 for third all-time.
Ovechkin has tortured the Jets over the years going back to the days when they were the Atlanta Thrashers. He now hasÂ
A big faceoff win
The Caps entered Tuesday's game dead last in the NHL in faceoff win percentage at 45.6%. But Lars Eller won a big one in the second period.
On an offensive-zone draw, Eller did enough to get the puck over to Connor McMichael. He knocked it back to Dmitry Orlov at the blue line. With time to work, Orlov waited for traffic to get in front of the net and then fired a shot that somehow made its way past Connor Hellebuyck and in.
Eller started the play with the faceoff win and it looked like he finished it with the deflection for the goal. Orlov was initially credited for the goal and, as of the time of writing, still remains the goal-scorer.
Props to Protas
Aliaksei Protas may not play a big a role as Martin Fehervary and he may not have the flash skillset of Connor McMichael, but he has made the most of his time in his rookie season and tallied the go-ahead goal in the third period.
Some quick passing from Tom Wilson to Justin Schultz to Protas found Protas open at the side of the net. Hellebuyck, however, had it covered. Instead of firing a shot that was not going to get through, Protas held onto the puck and went behind the net. Hellebuyck stuck out the leg to slow him down, but Protas skated through it and used his reach to try to wrap the puck around. He couldn't tuck it in but instead hit the puck off of Nate Schmidt. That hit off the pad of Hellebucyk and into the net to give Washington its first lead of the game at 3-2.
Can't hold on
Once Ovechkin woke the team up, the Caps played a decent game despite not having the lead until early in the third. Once Protas gave them the lead, however, the Caps got tight. Nic Dowd was called for hooking with less than five minutes to go. The PK managed to kill it off, but the Jets still tied the game with 65 seconds left in regulation thanks to Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Giving up leads has been a problem of late during the team's recent slump.
Winless no more
Tom Wilson won the game just 26 seconds into overtime giving the Caps their first overtime win of the season. Washington was 0-7 in overtime this season.