Anaheim Ducks lose third straight as Washington Capitals win 5-4 in overtime -NHL Match Update
Washington won their first matchup after the Edmonton Oilers snapped their perfect seven-game winning streak against Anaheim as the Capitals edged the Ducks in overtime to win, 5-4, at the sold-out Verizon Center in Washington, District of Columbia, United
States, on Tuesday night, November 1, 2011.
Anaheim put up a tough fight throughout the contest and at one point the Western Conference team was ahead, 4-2, with less than 11 minutes to go in the third and final period of regulation, but Washington’s quick action brought them back in the closing moments.
"We just stayed close enough", Capitals coach, Bruce Boudreau, said. "I thought when [Anaheim] got the fourth goal that might be [it], but it says a lot of the resiliency of this team. I think the third goal we got, which might have been a little bit on
the lucky side, sort of buoyed the guys up and they got reinvigorated”.
Seeing how they lost, Anaheim head coach, Randy Carlyle, was shocked at his teams’ performance in the final and overtime period.
"How we could give up the opportunity to [get] the extra point", Carlyle said. "We had played so well earlier in the game and then we started to self-destruct”.
Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne scored two straight for Anaheim during the inaugural period with seven minutes left to play, putting them ahead by a commanding, 2-0, lead to end the first 20 minutes.
Matt Beleskey and Matt Hendricks exchanged fists before the first goal of the night by Koivu and were awarded a five-minute major for fighting.
Teemu Selanne potted his second of the night to extend the lead but Joel Ward and Dennis Wideman both scored their third of the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season, leaving Washington behind by only one as they entered round-three.
Washington had a duplicate third period as Corey Perry scored on a power play, widening the gap to, 4-2, with less than 11 minutes remaining, but Troy Brouwer and Nicklas Backstrom scored two more to level the match and surprisingly force overtime.
After making the equaliser at the 19:18 mark of the third period, forcing another five minutes, Nicklas Backstrom scored again, but this time it was the game-winner 2:18 into the overtime extension.
Washington Capitals play the next two games on the road starting off against the Hurricanes in Carolina. Anaheim Ducks also have two remaining on the road before they finally return home against the New York Rangers on Saturday.
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