Wilson scores in OT, Capitals knock off Ducks 3-2
Tom Wilson scored his second goal of the game 1:09 into overtime and the Washington Capitals beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Martin Fehervary also scored, Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves and the Capitals won for the second time in three games following a six-game skid.
"When we're playing together and we're playing for each other, we can win some games," Wilson said. "Just got to start racking them together, and who knows?"
Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist, Troy Terry scored for the fourth straight game, and the Ducks had their three-game win streak snapped. John Gibson made 36 saves.
"I thought we were actually better tonight than we were in our last game," Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said, referring to a 4-2 win against Chicago on Monday following a four-game East Coast road trip.
The Capitals needed a victory to stay in the crowded Eastern Conference wild-card race considering their recent struggles, and Wilson ensured they picked up both points by shooting a bouncing puck between Gibson's legs off T.J. Oshie's centering pass during the extra 3-on-3 hockey.
"It just seemed like their guys kind of lost me, and I saw the seas part, so I figured I'd try and go to the net," Wilson said. "Just tried to get whatever I could on it, and I think stick to feet to through his legs, but we'll take it."
Wilson scored 8 seconds into the third for a 2-1 lead, burying a one-timer in the slot after Trevor van Riemsdyk picked off a poor clearance attempt at the blue line.
Zegras notched 20 goals for the second straight season when he tied it at 2, reaching out to slap in Mason McTavish's rebound at 4:17, shortly after a power play expired.
Zegras had been benched late in the second period after receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for yelling at the officials, but Eakins was pleased by how Zegras "channeled his emotion" back onto the ice following the external and internal discipline.
"He's got a ton of passion for the game," Eakins said. "He cares, and we're just trying to get those emotions into his game and not into the referees."
ABSENCES APLENTY
Capitals D Nick Jensen did not return after sustaining an upper-body injury in the first period. Jensen, who signed a three-year contract extension worth $12.15 million on Tuesday, appeared to be hurt making contact with Ducks D Simon Benoit in the corner 5:05 into the first.
Fehervary, who opened the scoring off a cross-ice pass through the slot by Nicklas Backstrom for his fifth goal 8:58 into the game, left in the third and did not return because of a lower-body injury. Washington had to finish out the game with four defensemen.
"Not ideal," Kuemper said. "But they did a great job stepping up, and I think just as a group the forwards did a good job of helping them the best they could knowing the situation, and we got through it."
MAKING MOVES The Capitals traded veteran C Lars Eller to Colorado for a second-round draft pick on Wednesday. Eller, who is in the final season of a five-year contract, had seven goals and nine assists in 60 games for Washington.
The Ducks held D John Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov out of the lineup for trade-related reasons ahead of Friday's deadline. Both Klingberg and Kulikov will be free agents at the end of this season and would bring playoff experience to interested teams that can overlook their struggles with dismal Anaheim.
UP NEXT
Capitals: At San Jose on Saturday.
Ducks: Host Montreal on Friday night.
