Nick Bonino and Mattias Ekholm scored 28 seconds apart late in the game as the Nashville Predators posted four third-period goals to rally for a wild 6-5 victory over the visiting Washington Capitals on Thursday night.
After T.J. Oshie gave Washington a 5-4 lead on a laser past Pekka Rinne (21 saves) with 9:51 left in regulation, Nashville answered like it did all night. Bonino tied it at 14:52 into the third and Ekholm sent the home crowd into a frenzy with his blast from the point that found the net with 4:40 left in the third period.
With Nashville down 4-2, Ryan Johansen (two goals) poked the puck underneath Braden Holtby (32 saves) on the power play to get his team within one at 5:03 into the third. The Predators tied it a little over a minute later when Matt Duchene delivered at 6:13 with his first goal.
Oshie answered, but Washington could not hold on while losing for the first time in regulation over five games this season. Alex Ovechkin scored two power-play goals for the Capitals, who are 0-1-2 while giving up third-period leads in each of the last three games.
The Capitals struck first, taking advantage of a Nashville turnover with 10:43 left in the first period as Lars Eller drove the puck into what was essentially an empty net. However, the hosts answered a little over one minute later when Filip Forsberg scored his fourth goal in as many games.
Washington regained the lead 4:46 into the second through Ovechkin. After the Capitals failed to score on 15 of their first 17 power play chances, Ovechkin one-timed a blast past Rinne. The Predators again answered to make it 2-2 on a two-on-one as Johansen stayed with a pass from Viktor Arvidsson and pushed the puck past Holtby at 7:37 into the second.
The Capitals got the lead back when Tom Wilson scored off their own two-on-one, this time while short-handed, with 7:32 left in the second. Ovechkin made it 4-2 with a second one-timer on the power play with 2:24 left in the period.
--Field Level Media
Washington | Nashville | |
John Carlson 3 | Points | Ryan Johansen 2 |
Alex Ovechkin 2 | Goals | Ryan Johansen 2 |
John Carlson 3 | Assists | Viktor Arvidsson 2 |
Alex Ovechkin 2 | Power Play Goals | Ryan Johansen 1 |
Tom Wilson 1 | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Braden Holtby .842 | Save Percentage | Pekka Rinne .808 |
Braden Holtby 32 | Saves | Pekka Rinne 21 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Washington | 26 | 5 | 2-4 | 3-4 | 8 | 35 |
Nashville | 38 | 6 | 1-4 | 2-4 | 8 | 36 |