Lindholm's 2nd hat trick lifts Flames past Caps 4-3 in OT
Elias Lindholm completed his second career hat trick with a one-timer 2:46 into overtime, and the Calgary Flames beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Saturday.
Lindholm's fourth, fifth and sixth goals of the season helped the Flames to a second consecutive victory at the start of a five-game road trip, this one coming after blowing an early 3-0 lead. Washington had won two in a row.
Andrew Mangiapane added his third on the power play to open the scoring for the Flames, who gave all of their first-period advantage back by the end of the second.
“We knew they were going to come with a push,” Lindholm said of the Capitals' comeback. “We battled back in the third, and it was nice to get the win in OT.”
Calgary's Dan Vladar made 22 saves for his first win with his new team. Johnny Gaudreau had two assists, including the final feed to Lindholm for an effort that caught the body of goaltender Ilya Samsonov before trickling over the line.
That game-winning play also gave Gaudreau 500 points on his career.
“It's always a pleasure playing with a playmaker like that and a skilled guy,” Lindholm said of Gaudreau. “We have a lot of fun out there, and that's why we have so much success.”
Alex Ovechkin scored his fifth goal and had an assist for the Capitals, who remain unbeaten in regulation but have lost both their overtime games this season.
Evgeny Kuznetsov posted his fourth goal to begin Washington's comeback, and Martin Fehervary scored his first in the NHL.
“I'm always positive,” Kuznetsov said. “I think we still got the one point. To get down 3-0, that's on us. That's a big problem for us. We will fix that, but, at the same time, we answered the bell.”
Ovechkin moved to 735 career goals, bringing him within six of Brett Hull for fourth on the NHL list.
Samsonov replaced Vitek Vanecek to start the second period. He stopped 13 straight shots before he was beaten in overtime.
Lindholm and Kuznetsov traded short-handed goals on either side of the first intermission.
The Capitals closed to 3-2 when Fehervary took a pass from Tom Wilson and beat Vladar inside his right post from near the opposite faceoff circle.
Then Ovechkin leveled the game inside the final two minutes of the period, reaching a loose puck after an unforced turnover and beating Vladar to his near post on a break down the left.
Lindholm is one game shy of tying a club record for consecutive games scoring a goal to begin the season. Gary Roberts scored in the Flames' opening five games of the 1989-90 campaign.
“He's a playmaker, you know?” Vladar said of Lindholm. “You can tell every single time during practice when we have those game situations, he knows how to find the spot, he knows where to shoot it. … I wouldn't want to play against him.”
NOTES: Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom was rested less than 48 hours after making 33 saves in his ninth career shutout, a 3-0 win at Detroit on Thursday night. … Vanecek saved 11 of 14 shots for Washington in the first period. … The Capitals went scoreless on the power play for a fourth consecutive game (14 total opportunities) after scoring three times on the man advantage in their season opener.
This report by The Associated Press was first published Oct. 23, 2021
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.