BUFFALO, N.Y. — Dominik Kahun scored the decisive goal in the seventh round of a shootout and the Buffalo Sabres snapped a six-game skid with a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Monday night.
Linus Ullmark stopped 33 shots through overtime and six of seven shootout attempts in his first game in six weeks.
Jack Eichel snapped a career-worst seven-game point drought and rookie Victor Olofsson also scored for Buffalo. Ullmark improved to 17-14-3 in making his first appearance after missing 18 games since hurting his lower right leg in a 5-2 loss to Ottawa on Jan. 28.
Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist, and Dmitry Orlov also scored as Washington erased a 2-0 deficit in the third period. Ovechkin’s goal was his 48th of the season, tying him with Boston’s David Pastrnak for the NHL lead.
Braden Holtby stopped 24 shots through overtime and gave up shootout goals to Kahun and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
Kahun, acquired from Pittsburgh in a trade last month, scored by driving across the front of the net and then flipping in a backhand.
Ullmark secured the win by getting his right pad out to stop Richard Panik on Washington’s final shootout attempt.
Despite the loss, the Capitals earned a point to move one ahead of idle Philadelphia atop the Metropolitan Division.
The Capitals continued a stretch of inconsistency while coming off a 5-2 win at Pittsburgh on Saturday. Washington dropped to 7-9-3 in its past 19, a stretch in which the team has won consecutive games just once.
The Capitals, who began the day with an NHL-leading 94 third-period goals, fully dominated the final frame by scoring twice and outshooting the Sabres 16-5.
Ovechkin cut Buffalo’s lead to 2-1 by scoring off a faceoff to the left of the Sabres net 3:33 into the third period.
Orlov tied it with a shot that banked in off two Sabres defenders with 6:49 left. Driving across the top of the Buffalo zone, Orlov snapped a shot that ticked off Brandon Montour’s stick and began skidding wide of the net before deflecting in off the back of Rasmus Ristolainen’s skate.
NOTES
SHARKS: San Jose signed defenseman Radim Simek to a four-year contract extension.
Simek was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer before the Sharks locked him up with the new deal worth a reported $9 million.
RED WINGS: Detroit signed defenseman Alex Biega to a one-year contract extension. Biega was acquired by the Red Wings in an Oct. 6 trade with Vancouver. He has three points in 48 games with Detroit this season.
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