Caps win heavyweight showdown, 4-2
Wild down Stanley Cup champs, also 4-2
RALEIGH, N.C. — Dmitry Orlov scored on a power play with 2:55 remaining, and the Washington Capitals recovered after blowing a two-goal lead to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Sunday.
The teams entered the game with a league-low three regulation losses apiece.
Alex Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas scored 59 seconds apart in the second period for the Capitals, who’ve won nine of their last 11 games (9-1-1). John Carlson added an empty-netter after posting two assists earlier.
The winning goal, which was set up by Tom Wilson’s pass, came just seconds after Washington’s 5-on-3 advantage expired, but the Capitals still had time with an extra skater. Washington has a power-play goal in three of its last four games.
Ilya Samsonov stopped 30 shots for Washington.
Samsonov, whose record improved to 9-0-1, played in his third consecutive game for the first time this season. There was plenty to keep him busy.
It was Carolina’s first home game in more than two weeks. The Hurricanes went 4-1-1 on a six-game road swing.
WILD 4, LIGHTNING 2: In St. Paul, Minn., Ryan Hartman broke a 2-all tie midway through the third period, and Minnesota beat Tampa Bay.
Hartman scored for the third straight game and has goals in five of the last six games to give him 12 on the season. Nick Bjugstad, Victor Rask and Marcus Foligno also scored for Minnesota, which has won three in a row and scored the most goals in the NHL since Nov. 2.
Corey Perry scored for the second time in three games for Tampa Bay. Alex Killorn added his first goal in 11 games, tying the game in the second period.
BRUINS 3, CANUCKS 2: In Boston, Brad Marchand scored the tying goal on a power play in the third period and set-up David Pastrnak’s go-ahead score, helping the Bruins to a victory over Vancouver.
Anton Blidh also scored for Boston, and Linus Ullmark made 36 saves. The Bruins won for the fifth time in seven games.
With Oliver Ekman-Larsson off for boarding Blidh, Marchand shifted around defenseman Kyle Burroughs and fed Pastrnak in front of the net, where he slipped in a power-play score with 3:24 to play.
MAPLE LEAFS 5, DUCKS 1: In Anaheim, Calif., Michael Bunting, Alexander Kerfoot and William Nylander each had a goal and an assist, and Toronto completed the most successful month in franchise history.
The Maple Leafs went 12-2-0 this month, becoming the eighth NHL team to win 12 games in November. Toronto also tied a franchise record with its seventh straight road victory.
Toronto has not lost away from home since dropping its first three road games. The Maple Leafs swept a four-game trip that started against the New York Islanders and ended by outscoring the three California teams 15-4.
SHARKS 2, BLACKHAWKS 0: In Chicago, Timo Meier scored on a deflection and added an emptynet goal, James Reimer earned his 42nd career shutout, and San Jose blanked Chicago.
The Sharks won for the third time in four starts, all with Reimer in goal. He was only occasionally challenged en route to his first shutout in 22 months.
The loss was the third in five games for Chicago, and dropped the Blackhawks to 6-3-0 since Derek King took over as head coach.
DEVILS 5, FLYERS 2: In Newark, N.J., Andreas Johnsson had two goals and two assists, Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists and New Jersey beat Philadelphia.
Dougie Hamilton had a goal, an assist and 10 shots on goal, and Nathan Bastian also scored for New Jersey which won at home for the first time since Nov. 11.
For the Flyers, Joel Farabee scored in his third straight game and Scott Laughton had a goal and an assist. Philadelphia dropped its sixth game in a row.