The Washington Capitals mounted a dramatic comeback Saturday night in Las Vegas, with Dylan Strome breaking out of a lengthy scoring slump to deliver both the equalizing goal and the shootout winner in a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Strome, who had been held without a goal for 17 consecutive games, found redemption after hitting the goalpost on his opening shot of the contest. The forward knotted the score at 4-4 during the middle portion of the final period, converting a power-play opportunity by firing a one-timer from the right circle’s center. He then sealed the victory in the shootout’s opening round, lifting a backhand shot over goaltender Adin Hill.
Washington received offensive contributions from Justin Sourdif, who recorded one goal and one assist, while Cole Hutson contributed two helpers. Hendrix Lapierre and Anthony Beauvillier also found the back of the net for the Capitals, who trail the Eastern Conference’s second wild card position by four points. Netminder Logan Thompson turned aside 25 shots and was perfect on all three shootout attempts he faced.
Vegas was led by Jack Eichel’s three-point performance, including one goal and two assists. Rasmus Andersson added a goal and assist, while Nic Dowd and Mitch Marner also scored for the Golden Knights, who suffered their third consecutive defeat and sixth loss in seven outings. Hill recorded 17 saves for Vegas, which now sits three points behind Pacific Division runner-up Edmonton.
In other NHL action, the New York Islanders exploded for five second-period goals to overcome Florida 5-2 in Elmont. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer tied a franchise record with his 56th point of the season, matching Stefan Persson’s mark from 1977-78. The victory moved New York one point ahead of Pittsburgh for the Metropolitan Division’s second playoff position.
Tampa Bay extended their point streak to seven games with a 4-2 triumph over Ottawa. Emil Lilleberg provided the go-ahead goal at 8:51 of the third period and finished with a career-high three points. Andrei Vasilevskiy earned his NHL-leading 35th victory with 26 saves.
Connor McDavid continued his pursuit of another scoring title, recording three points in Edmonton’s 4-2 victory over Anaheim. The league’s points leader now has 124 points on 42 goals and 82 assists, extending his point streak to four games.
Boston received two goals each from Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm in a 6-3 win over Minnesota, while Carolina kept pace atop the Eastern Conference with a 5-2 victory over New Jersey behind Nikolaj Ehlers’ goal and assist.
In late-game drama, Igor Chernyshov scored with 1:25 remaining to lift San Jose past Columbus 3-2, snapping the Sharks’ six-game losing streak. Cole Perfetti’s late third-period goal helped Winnipeg defeat Colorado 4-2, moving the Jets within three points of a Western Conference wild card spot.
Dallas ended a four-game slide with a 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh, getting Miko Rantanen back in the lineup after nearly two months. Montreal began a crucial five-game road trip with a 4-1 win in Nashville, while Buffalo rallied for a 3-2 shootout victory over Seattle.
St. Louis continued their dominant March with a 5-1 rout of Toronto, improving to 10-1-2 this month. Philadelphia matched a franchise record with their eighth consecutive road victory, defeating Detroit 5-3 behind Owen Tippett’s hat trick.
Utah strengthened their wild card position with a 6-2 victory over Los Angeles, while Calgary rode a four-goal second period to a 7-3 win over struggling Vancouver, extending their remarkable streak to 55 consecutive victories when scoring four or more goals.
