Dylan Strome wins it in OT for Capitals over Islanders

The Washington Capitals took care of business on home ice, winning in overtime to defeat the New York Islanders in a key Metropolitan Division matchup 3-2 in front of a sold out holiday crowd at Capital One Arena. The game winner was provdided by leading goal scorer Dylan Strome while Darcy Kuemper finished with 27 saves.

The game saw the debut of Ivan Miroshnichenko who was the 20th overall pick in the first round by the Capitals in the 2022 NHL Draft. He fell down in the draft boards due to being diagnosed with Hodkins Lymphoma in the middle of that season prior to being drafted. He overcame that, had a good KHL season, and then joined the Caps organization aftere last season. He played in numerous preseason games and the start of the AHL season with the Hershey Bears.

The other guy they called up, 2020 first rounder Hendrix Lapierre, got things started for the Caps early at 9:56 with his second goal of the season. Aliaksei Protas, not a rookie but still a young buck, assisted on that goal. The Caps led in shots 14-7 after one as well as 1-0.

Hudson Fasching tied it for the Islanders at 1:03 in the second period. At 13:12 the Caps retook the lead with Joel Edmundson's first goal with the Caps. The defenseman was acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens at the start of free agency over the summer. Anthony Mantha and Lapierre had the apples.

The Caps took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission and led in shots 12-9 in the second.

In the third pierod Anders Lee tied it at 12:02. The Islanders outshot the Caps 16-8 in the final period and 36-32 overall. The game would require overtime and the Caps led in shots 2-0 and it was their second shot of the three on three that would win the game.

The game winner from Strome came from Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson and it was a perfet shot for his 13th of the season which leads the Caps. With the win the Caps record goes up to 16-9-4 with 36 points. The Islanders are three points ahead of the Caps in thrid place in the division while the Caps sit at fifth but a point back of the Carolina Hurricanes who the Caps beat on Sunday on the road.

But the Caps are still in a playoff spot at second in the wild card. Tonight they go for three in a row at 7 p.m. on Monumental Sports Network in a road contest with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yes another back to back in December.