Caps win via 2 goals in the third period

CAPITALS 3, LIGHTNING 1

WASHINGTON — Dmitry Orlov scored the go-ahead goal with 6:03 left, Braden Holtby made 26 saves and the Washington Capitals killed off several late power plays to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 on Saturday night.

Washington outshot Tampa Bay 35-27 and handed the Lightning their third loss in four games. Holtby didn’t get tested much in the first two periods but was at his best on a late 5-on-3 penalty kill when he made big stops on Tyler Johnson and Victor Hedman.

The NHL-leading Capitals improved to 5-0-1 in the second half of back-tobacks this season. They were the better team for a large portion of the game against a rested opponent even after playing at New Jersey on Friday.

Defenseman Radko Gudas scored his first goal with the Capitals when he gave them the lead in the second period. Washington acquired Gudas for his physicality, not his offense, but it’ll take some offense when he can provide it.

Reigning MVP Nikita Kucherov scored his 12th of the season for the Lightning, wiring a shot high glove side on Holtby in the third. The Lightning had a major opportunity to take the lead with a two-man advantage for 1:26 but couldn’t crack Holtby.

Tampa Bay’s league-best power play got seven chances but came up empty on each one. With goaltender Curtis McIlhenny pulled for an extra attacker, Nic Dowd scored an empty-net goal with 2:23 left to put it away. McIlhenney got a surprise nod over regular Lightning starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was not on the bench for the entire game. He made 32 saves, but the Lightning lost their second in a row.

The Capitals got a scare in the second when T.J. Oshie crashed head-first into defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and looked to be in distress lying on the ice. Oshie left, but eventually returned.