Capitals 3, Islanders 2 (OT): Captain Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winner at 2:07 of overtime after Nicklas Backstrom tied it with a short-handed goal in the final minute of the third period as visiting Washington sent New York to its sixth consecutive defeat.

The Islanders appeared to end their skid when Thomas Vanek scored with 1:51 left in regulation, but Backstrom answered 62 seconds later to force overtime. Ovechkin notched an unassisted tally - his league-leading 21st goal - to give the Capitals their second win in as many nights.

Aaron Volpatti added a goal and Braden Holtby turned aside 37 shots to drop New York to 0-5-1 in its last six. Anders Nilsson, making his first start of the season, made 27 saves for the Islanders.

Cal Clutterbuck's short-handed goal at 3:59 of the third erased Volpatti's first-period tally before New York went ahead when Vanek scored his eighth goal of the season and fourth in 11 games since joining the Islanders.

A hooking penalty with 70 seconds remaining on Washington defenseman Mike Green put the Islanders on the power play, but Jason Chimera got control of the puck behind the net and fed Backstrom, who whistled a shot past Nilsson with 49 seconds left to force overtime.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Nilsson's only other appearance this season came in relief of Kevin Poulin, when he stopped 12 of 13 shots against Philadelphia on Nov. 23. ... Capitals F Brooks Laich sat out his second straight game with a lower-body injury while D Dmitry Orlov made his season debut following his recall from Hershey of the American Hockey League earlier in the day. G Philipp Grubauer also was recalled from Hershey to back up Holtby after Michal Neuvirth was hurt in pregame warmups Friday. ... The Islanders surrendered the first goal for the sixth straight game and fell to 2-14-0 when their opponent strikes first.