Alex Tuch made his first game against Buffalo count in a big way.
He scored twice, including the overtime winner, and the Washington Capitals erased an early deficit to slip past the Sabres 4-3. Dylan Strome added a pair of goals of his own, and Washington clawed back from 2-0 down in a game that swung all over the place.
Buffalo had Washington on its heels early, and the first period was a mess defensively for the Caps. Jack Quinn opened the scoring at 6:27 after finding too much space straight to the net against Washington’s man-to-man coverage. Then, at 10:36, Jakob Chychrun turned the puck over behind his own net, Ryan McLeod found Josh Doan in front, and Doan finished to make it 2-0.
Washington did manage to get on the board before the period ended. At 16:10, Tuch sent a puck toward the middle that deflected off a Buffalo player and into the net to cut the lead to 2-1. Even with the deficit, the Caps had an 8-5 shot advantage after 20 minutes.
The second period belonged to Strome. Washington had an early power play after Mattias Samuelsson was called for slashing Tom Wilson at 0:55, but the tying goal came shortly after Samuelsson exited the box. Chychrun fired the puck toward the net, and Strome collected the rebound just outside the crease before backhanding it past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at 2:59.
The Capitals missed on another power play chance after Zellweger was called for delay of game at 14:46, but Strome still found the net again later in the period. Justin Sourdif helped create the chance with a strong forechecking move, and Strome buried the go-ahead goal at 17:24 with Martin Fehérváry earning the other assist.
Buffalo wasn’t done, though.
Washington entered the third period up 3-2 and carrying a perfect 4-0-0 record this season when leading after two, but the Sabres quickly pushed back. Tage Thompson rang one off the crossbar, and about 30 seconds later Tuch nearly added another when Rasmus Sandin’s shot redirected off the bar. Buffalo kept pressing until Noah Ostlund’s shot at 2:20 deflected through Lindgren to tie it 3-3, with Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin credited with assists.
The rest of the third turned into a grind. Washington killed off a tripping penalty to Wilson at 4:27, then survived another when Tuch went to the box for slashing Jason Zucker at 7:26.
The Caps had some life late, including a strong offensive-zone shift from Ovechkin, Strome and Protas, and Ryan Leonard drew a high-sticking penalty on Konsta Helenius at 13:59. But Washington couldn’t find the winner in regulation, despite finishing the third with a 31-20 edge in shots overall.
Overtime didn’t last long. Buffalo controlled possession to start the extra frame, but Strome eventually drew the defense behind the net and fed Tuch alone in the slot. Tuch made no mistake at 3:42, beating Luukkonen for the game-winner and finishing a two-goal night against the team he used to call home.
Lindgren also had a hand in the win, turning aside several key chances, and Strome’s three-point night loomed large in the comeback. Washington wasn’t sharp defensively, and the breakdowns were obvious, but it still found a way to come away with the victory.
In Other News...
Capitals Make A Blue Line Move Fans Need To Watch
Fridays waiver wire had a little extra intrigue for teams looking to patch up the back end, and Washington was among the clubs paying close attention. The only two defensemen available were both claimed, with Nashville taking Daemon Hunt from Minnesota and the Capitals bringing in Jack St. Ivany from Winnipeg, keeping each player on an NHL roster and giving Washington another name to sort through on the blue line.
For a Capitals group that is already working without Rasmus Sandin and Vincent Desharnais, any added defense depth is worth watching closely. St. Ivany arrives with a chance to factor into the conversation quickly, and while the weekend brought more waived players into the mix, the first move alone was enough to signal that Washington is still monitoring options for the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Still Stuck Waiting On A Real Mathew Barzal Update
The Capitals are getting some help back up the middle, with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Justin Sourdif set to return against Buffalo after each missed recent games because of illness. Dubois is still on injured reserve, but his return can be handled without any roster move, giving Washington a little more flexibility as it gets bodies back into the lineup.
Elsewhere around the division, the news only adds to the sense of week-to-week uncertainty that seems to follow the injured list. Islanders center Mathew Barzal is still sidelined with knee inflammation and there is no clear timeline for when he might be back, which leaves New York waiting for a more concrete update than the one it has so far. [Read more 🡒]