Capitals end home power-play drought, beat Coyotes 3-2 in OT

WASHINGTON — Finally, the Washington Capitals cashed in on a power play at home and not a moment too soon.

Alex Ovechkin snapped a home power-play drought and John Carlson scored the winner with 45.4 seconds left on the clock in overtime as the Capitals came back to beat the NHL-worst Arizona Coyotes 3-2 on Monday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Washington hadn’t scored on its past 21 home power plays, with the team’s hallmark in previous seasons looking like a weakness.

“We just have to manage the puck because we knew exactly what we have to do out there,” said Ovechkin, who scored his team-leading 12th goal in the second period. “Sometimes it’s working, sometimes it’s not. Finally, it’s nice to get a goal. It was a big goal for us, as well.”

The Capitals went 1 for 6 on the power play against the Coyotes, who were penalized four times for slashing. Washington is 2 for 25 this season at Capital One Arena, but Carlson sees progress.

“I think it’s just a matter of sticking to it and seeing some pucks go in and building some momentum that way,” said Carlson, who leads all NHL players in ice time at 27:14 per game. “We see the numbers and scoring chances and all that kind of stuff and we watch the film and know what’s going on. There’s no curtain over our eyes.”