Power play brings Caps back to life: 4 reasons Washington beat the Devils originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Capitals scored three power play goals on Sunday to erase a 2-0 deficit and earn a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Both T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin broke goal droughts of nine and four games respectively.
The win is Washington's first of the season in an afternoon game. The Caps were 0-3-2 heading into the contest.
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Here is how the Caps won.
T.J. Oshie
After nine games without a goal, Oshie came up huge on Sunday with two power play markers including the game-winner.
Oshie parked in the high-slot and deflected a shot from John Carlson to get the Caps on the board after trailing 2-0. On his second goal, Oshie was set up in the high slot and had enough time to spring a great wrister to beat goalie Aaron Dell.
A Panik sell and an Oshie deflection
This game did not get off to a great start. The Devils had seven shots on goal, one power play and a 1-0 lead before the Caps could even muster a shot on goal. Even when Washington tried to shift momentum, the Devils scored on a counter-attack to make it 2-0.
With no signs of life, Richard Panik came up with a big play to draw a penalty that proved to be the turning point of the game.
Fighting for the puck in the corner, Sami Vatanen stuck his stick out under the arm of Panik. Panik felt it and on the replay you could see his arm come down and clamp the stick to his body before he fired the puck and fell to the ice. To put it bluntly, he sold the call and it worked. Vatanen was sent to the box. When the Caps desperately needed a spark Panik provided a power play and Oshie delivered the goal.
The power play
When the Caps had nothing going for them, they still had the power play. Down 2-0 in the second, Oshie's power play goal gave Washington life. When the Caps tied the game at 2, Oshie delivered the game-winner. When the Caps needed insurance, Alex Ovechkin broke his four-game goal drought to make it 4-2.
For the game, Washington scored three power play goals on four opportunities. The Caps were scoring at 29.3-percent coming into the game, good for seventh in the NHL.
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Craig Anderson
In his first start since March when he was with the Ottawa Senators, Anderson came up with a big game for the Caps. He was tested early on as Jack Hughes pulled off a curl-and-drag, but he was up to the task. Once the Caps retook the lead, the Devils pushed hard in the third and Anderson had to stand tall to keep the team ahead before Ovechkin could give them the insurance tally.
The Devils would score with 11 seconds remaining to keep it close, but Anderson was able to hold on for the win.
For the game, Anderson made 22 saves on 25 shots.
