Recap: Capitals 4, Hurricanes 3 (OT)

The Hurricanes rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period, but it wasn't enough to get Carolina its fifth straight victory — or Anton Khudobin’s first win of the season — as Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom scored with just 14 seconds left in overtime.

Khudobin was hot and cold in his first action between the pipes since Oct. 24, keeping Carolina in the game as the Caps outshot the Canes 27-12 through two periods but also allowing two goals — including the game-winner — that he probably wants back.

The Hurricanes slow start was boosted by timely goals: Riley Nash notched his fourth goal of the year in the final minute of the opening period to give Carolina a power play tally and a manageable 2-1 deficit. Washington extended the lead to two again late in the second, but Eric Staal and Elias Lindholm each scored in third to tie the game and force overtime.

Carolina looked like it was on its way to a shootout, but a Washington rush led by Alexander Ovechkin led to the game-winner, with the Capitals captain blasting a shot off Khudobin’s right pad and right to Backstrom, who buried the shot with 14 seconds left to snap Carolina’s winning streak.

On Washington’s second goal, Khudobin was at fault when Jay Beagle, behind the Carolina net, was able to bank a shot in off Khudobin to stake the Caps to a 2-0 lead.

Former Hurricanes draft pick Justin Peters earned the win against his old team, his second victory since he signed a two-year contract with Washington this summer.

Eric Fehr and Troy Brouwer also scored for the Capitals, who improved to 6-5-3 on the season. Carolina earned a point in the standings for the fifth straight game after losing their first eight games of the season, moving to 4-6-3. Believe it or not, the Hurricanes are just five points behind third place Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division, and have a game in hand on the Flyers.

Game Notes

• Lindholm now has points in every game of Carolina’s current point streak, with five goals and two assists in the past five games. His goal was originally credited to Justin Faulk — who finished with two assists on the night and has five points during the same stretch — but was changed following the game after it was determined Lindholm redirected Faulk’s point shot.
  
• John-Michael Liles left the game late with an undisclosed injury. Liles, who has been playing in place of injured Tim Gleason, was credited with three blocked shots, but also five giveaways.
• Staal led all players with five shots, and Faulk had nine shot attempts. Jeff Skinner, who had the primary assist on Staal’s goal, finished without a shot on net.
• Alexander Semin, playing against his former team, picked up an assist for the second straight game.
• Khudobin allowed four goals on 39 shots, the third time in five games this season he's allowed that many, and the fourth out of five times he's given up at least three goals. Khudobin did not allow more than three goals last season until his 35th and 36th appearance of the year, his final two outings of the 2013-14 season.
• The Hurricanes, one of the NHL’s top faceoff teams so far this season, were outdueled 38-31 by the Capitals, who rank 16th in the league. Three of Carolina’s four centers had winning records on the draw, but Nash was just 6 of 18.