WASHINGTON – The Blues lost for the first time this season when they were leading after two periods, though they were able to get a point out of a 4-3 overtime loss to the Capitals at Capital One Arena on Sunday.
Nicklas Backstrom scored on a breakaway for Washington with 43 seconds to go in overtime. Blues defenseman Colton Parayko lost the puck and then lost his stick in the Capitals' zone and had to come off the ice. Before Joel Edmundson, his replacement, could get into the play, Backstrom was sprung for the break and he beat goalie Carter Hutton for the win and the extra point.
The Blues had been 20-0 when leading after three periods, though in some of those games they lost the lead and won in overtime or a shootout. The loss also ended Carter Hutton's three-game win streak. Hutton stopped 30 of 34 shots.
Blues coach Mike Yeo thought the game was a positive step after a dismal performance on Saturday at Philadelphia.
"I thought we did lot of good things," he said. "The effort, the way we played the game, if we play that way it will give us chances to win games."
The Blues sent the game to overtime with a goal by Carl Gunnarsson, just his fourth of the season, with 4:09 to go in the third. Gunnarsson took a shot from near the blueline that hit the elbow of Washington's Alex Ovechkin in front of the goal and caromed into the goal.
The Blues took a 2-1 lead into the third but gave up another power-play goal after a tripping penalty on Jay Bouwmeester – the Capitals needed just three seconds – the first time they had given up two power-play goals in a game since Nov. 29. The previously rock solid Blues PK has given up three goals in the past two games.
Washington took the lead in the third when T.J. Oshie banked a shot off Hutton's pads to Lars Eller, who put in the rebound to score with 9:11 to go in the third.
The Blues got goals from Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Steen – it was originally credited to Brayden Schenn – and with Steen's goal coming on a power play, the team's first power-play goal since Dec. 20. They had some good scoring chances in overtime, but Braden Holtby made big saves on Schenn and Patrik Berglund.
SECOND PERIOD UPDATE
WASHINGTON – The Blues scored on the power play. Let's repeat that: The Blues scored on the power play. The team snapped an 0-for-21 run of power-play ineptitude and took a 2-1 lead on the Capitals after two periods at Capital One Arena on Sunday.
Brayden Schenn one-timed a pass from Alex Pietrangelo in with 14:58 to go in the second to break a 1-1 tie. It was the first power-play goal for the Blues since Schenn had one on Dec. 20 at Calgary. It was the 18th goal of the season for Schenn, tying him Vladimir Tarasenko, who got his 18th goal of the season about four minutes earlier.
Tarasenko got his goal 1:18 into the period on a feed into the slot from Ivan Barbashev, who had no points in his first 14 games and now has a goal and two assits in the past two.
The Blues dominated the first half of the second period, with Washington not getting its first shot on goal until almost halfway through the period. Washington picked it up after falling behind, but the Blues still outshot Washington 17-6 in the period. Shots on goal for the game are 24-14 for the Blues.
The Blues now have four power-play goals in the past month, and all of them have come with Carter Hutton in goal. The last time the Blues scored when Jake Allen was playing was Dec. 7.
The Blues had a chance to make it 3-1 when Magnus Paajarvi sprung Tage Thompson for a break. Thompson deked Washington goalie Braden Holtby and had an opening, but then didn't put the shot on frame.
FIRST PERIOD UPDATE
WASHINGTON – The Blues came out with a better start than they had on Saturday in Phiadelphia, but they still fell behind 1-0 after one period at Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Washington got a power-play goal from Brett Connolly, redirecing a shot from Alex Ovechkin. That goal came during the Blues second penalty kill of the period. The team handled a holding penalty on Kyle Brodziak, but couldn't get through a holding call on Carl Gunnarsson that came 23 seconds after the previous penalty ended.
The Blues had some good sustained pressure in Capitals end, but couldn't score.
Carter Hutton is back in goal for the Blues, his fourth start in the past five games. He stopped seven of the eight shots he faced. The Blues had seven shots on Washington goalie Braden Holtby.