Capitals fall to Stars in high scoring shootout

The Washington Capitals almost defeated the Dallas Stars but fell short to them 5-4 in the shootout, a good night if you bet the over.

Aliaksei Protas gave the Caps a 1-0 lead early on at 7:11 off assists from Connor McMichael and Nick Jensen that included a wicked shot from behind the net that some how caromed in. It was Protas third goal of the season.

Tyler Seguin tied it up at 15:38 and the score was even at one after one. The Stars led in shots 10-6 in the first period.

The Caps took the lead at 4:31 as Trevor van Riemsdyk dished it to Tom Wilson. Puck got loose and Dylan Strome found it to blast it in. Evgeny Kuznetsov was a healthy scratch in Monday’s 6-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes but last night he found a breakaway goal that made the lead 3-1.

It was Kuznetsov’s fifth goal of the season and it came in his 700th NHL game. Matthew Phillips and Protas had the assists. Mason Marchment made it a one goal deficit for the Stars at 14:19 and the Caps would lead 3-2 at the end of two. Stars had the edge in shots in the second period 14-13.

In the third period both the Caps and the Stars scored on power plays. The first came from Roope Hintz at 1:51. Strome then struck for his second goal of the game and team leading 10th of the season at 9:08. That put the Caps back ahead 4-3.

Anthony Mantha had the primary assist while Alex Ovechkin had the secondary but that wasn’t just any secondary assist for the great eight. It was his 1,500th career point.

Hintz tied it back up at 13:47. The Caps were outshot 12-6 in the third period and the game would head to overtime tied at four. Both teams had just two shots in the three on three and the game would require a shootout. The Stars had the edge in shots 38-27 overall. Charlie Lindgren got the start in goal over a struggling Darcy Kuemper and made 34 saves.

In the shootout nobody could score from the Capitals as Kuznetsov, Strome, and Ovechkin each got stopped. Jason Robertson’s goal early on was all the Stars would need to win.

The Capitals are back in action on Saturday night against former coach Peter Laviolette and the first place New York Rangers, a team that everyone in the Metropolitan Division is chasing.