Beagle, Johansson help Capitals cool off Blackhawks 3-2
CHICAGO (AP) — Jay Beagle usually plays on one of Washington's last two lines. He does whatever is asked of him, and his teammates love him.
So this was one sweet night for the Capitals.
Beagle had two goals, Marcus Johansson scored at 2:20 of overtime, and Washington snapped Chicago's seven-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory over the Blackhawks on Friday.
Beagle is "a total pro," coach Barry Trotz said. "He doesn't look for any accolades. He just comes and works every day. From our standpoint, I know our room is really happy when he gets on the board."
Braden Holtby had 32 saves, leading the Capitals to their sixth win in seven games in the opener of a three-game trip.
Washington defenseman Dmitry Orlov made a nice pass to Johansson for a one-timer that beat Corey Crawford on the glove side. Johansson's seventh goal of the season helped the Capitals rebound from a 3-0 loss to San Jose on Tuesday with another game looming on Saturday against Carolina.
"That's probably what pleases me the most," Trotz said, "is that you know we're not extending anything on a negative way."
Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist for Chicago, which extended its point streak to 10 games. Defenseman Brian Campbell also scored, and Crawford finished with 24 stops.
The Blackhawks played without center Artem Anisimov, who was scratched after he left Wednesday night's 2-1 overtime win at St. Louis with an upper-body injury. Anisimov, who has eight goals and nine assists in 14 games, could return as soon as Sunday against Montreal.
Chicago was trailing 2-1 when it pulled Crawford for an extra attacker with 2:13 to go. It broke through for the tying score when Artemi Panarin's shot went off the stick of Washington defenseman Brooks Orpik and trickled through to Hossa on the side of the crease for his seventh goal in eight games with 22.3 seconds left.
"It was a huge point," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "They've got a good hockey team. They check well. They didn't give up much in the middle of the ice. Certainly had a great look at the end with Hossa scoring."
Washington jumped in front in the first after Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov was sent off for holding Hossa. Defenseman Matt Niskanen made a great diving play to knock the puck out of the Washington zone, starting a 2-on-1 with T.J. Oshie and Beagle.
Oshie made a nice saucer pass to Beagle, who knocked it in for his first career short-handed goal. It was his first point since he scored his first goal of the season in a victory at Winnipeg on Nov. 1.
"Obviously Osh makes an unreal play on that PK and I just tap it into a wide-open net," said Beagle, who has 34 goals in 324 career games. "That was all him and Nisky."
Campbell responded with a tying power-play goal just 22 seconds later, but Beagle skated behind the net for a nifty wraparound and a 2-1 Washington lead at 14:44.
"He's been big for us every single year and every year he gets better and better," Holtby said.
It turned into a goaltender battle from there, with Crawford and Holtby taking turns frustrating would-be scorers.
Holtby stopped a big drive by Brent Seabrook late in the first and made a right blocker stop on Panarin early in the third.
Justin Williams got open for a nice look late in the second, but Crawford used a blocker to knock it over the net. He also made a glove save on John Carlson with 12:18 left in the third.
NOTES: Crawford went to the locker room for an equipment issue with 7:02 left in the second, but he quickly returned to the ice. ... Vinnie Hinostroza replaced Anisimov in the lineup. C Tyler Motte (lower body) and D Michal Rozsival also were inactive. ... The Capitals scratched RW Brett Connolly and D Nate Schmidt. ... The Blackhawks and Capitals also play on Jan. 13 in Washington.
UP NEXT
Capitals: Visit Carolina on Saturday night.
Blackhawks: Host Montreal on Sunday night.
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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap