Capitals edge Ducks after squandering lead


Reuters | Washington DC | Updated: 07-12-2019 13:14 IST | Created: 07-12-2019 12:46 IST
Capitals edge Ducks after squandering lead
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Jakub Vrana scored the game-winning goal and also had an assist and Braden Holtby made 27 saves to lead the visiting Washington Capitals to their sixth straight victory, 3-2, over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Travis Boyd also scored goals and John Carlson added his 32nd assist for Washington, which swept the three California teams on a road trip for the first time in franchise history. The Capitals also improved their NHL best road record to 14-2-1.

Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and an assist and Adam Henrique also scored for Anaheim. Ryan Miller finished with 33 saves. Boyd gave Washington a 1-0 lead at the 9:00 mark of the first period with a sharp-angle goal from beneath the right goal line, a shot that banked in off Miller's pad and inside the right post. It was his second goal of the season.

Kuznetsov made it 2-0 early in the second period with a power-play goal, carrying the puck into the middle of the right circle then firing a wrist shot through Miller's pads for his 12th goal of the season. Anaheim, which had a Sam Steel goal waived off after a coaches' challenge when Cam Fowler was ruled offside on the play, cut it to 2-1 near the end of the period when Getzlaf picked up a loose puck in the slot and fired a shot past Holtby's blocker side for his 10th goal of the season.

The Ducks tied it 45 seconds into the third period on Henrique's ninth goal of the season with a wrist shot into the top corner short side from the right dot off a Getzlaf feed. But Washington regained the lead just 52 seconds later when defenseman Brendan Guhle, trying to clear the puck from the left side of the net, instead passed the puck right to Vrana. Miller stopped the first shot but Vrana then backhanded in the rebound for his 15th goal of the season.

Anaheim pulled Miller with 1:50 remaining but failed to garner a shot on goal.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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