Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the game-winner with 56.2 seconds remaining in regulation as the host Washington Capitals snapped their seven-game losing skid with a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday night.

While on a power play, Kuznetsov gained the puck at the blue line, worked his way to the net and threaded the needle with a top-corner shot for his 10th goal of the season. Capitals goalie Braden Holtby made 27 saves.

Capitals star Alex Ovechkin was suspended for the contest as a result of his skipping the All-Star Game.

Washington's Nic Dowd opened the scoring exactly three minutes into the affair. Moments after Flames goalie Mike Smith failed to clear the puck out of the zone, Dowd deflected John Carlson's point shot for his first goal since Dec. 2.

Mikael Backlund drew the visitors even with a highlight-reel tally at 17:37 of the opening frame, his third goal in as many games. Backlund gained the puck in his own zone, chipped it to himself as a trio of Capitals players converged at the center line and then held off a check as he tucked home the puck with one hand on his stick.

The Caps then scored in both the final minute of the period and the first minute of the second frame to take a 3-1 lead. First, Dmitrij Jaskin netted a rebound goal with 35.7 seconds on the clock before the intermission, and Tom Wilson wired a shot from just inside the top of the right circle 54 seconds into the second period.

But the Flames responded. Garnet Hathaway made it a 3-2 game when TJ Brodie's point shot ricocheted off both Derek Ryan and him before going into the net at the 2:17 mark of the second.

Elias Lindholm then tied the game with about eight minutes remaining, deflecting Johnny Gaudreau's long shot to push his points streak to nine games, in which he's scored twice and netted 11 points.

Each team lost a player due to injury in the clash. Calgary defenseman Travis Hamonic left with an apparent leg injury, and Washington's Lars Eller suffered a lower-body injury.

Smith stopped 36 shots in the loss that snapped Calgary's three-game winning streak.

--Field Level Media