Backstrom propels Capitals past Blues in overtime

WASHINGTON -- Nicklas Backstrom scored on a breakaway with 43 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Washington Capitals their fourth straight win, 4-3 against the St. Louis Blues at Capital One Arena on Sunday.
Backstrom beat goalie Carter Hutton from the right hash marks after receiving a stretch pass from T.J. Oshie.

"I was just going. I knew the pass from Oshie] was coming," Backstrom said. "Nice to get a breakaway -- for once. And nice to score too."
***[\[WATCH: All Blues vs. Capitals highlights\]*
Alex Ovechkin and Lars Eller scored third-period goals for the Capitals (26-13-3), who have won nine games in a row at home and 16 of their past 18. Braden Holtby made 31 saves.
Washington is 12-2-2 and has won four straight games three times since Dec. 2.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexander Steen and Carl Gunnarsson scored for the Blues (26-16-3), who have lost two games in a row. Hutton made 29 saves.

Ovechkin tied the game 2-2 with a power-play goal at 8:00 of the third period, and Eller put the Capitals ahead 3-2 at 10:49.
Ovechkin scored three seconds after a holding penalty on Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, beating Hutton with a one-timer from the top of the left face-off circle. His 27 goals are tied with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov for the NHL lead.
"I truly think when he hits his spot, it's kind of an almost unsaveable shot," Hutton said. "I don't think it's physically possible when he picks his spot to be able to save it. You have to be cheating or get a piece, and he made a great shot and that's what he's been doing ever since he's been in the League."
Oshie set up Eller's go-ahead goal when his shot from the right wing went off Hutton's pads to Eller at the left post.

Gunnarsson tied it 3-3 when his point shot deflected past Holtby off Ovechkin's left elbow at 15:51.
"It was kind of bad shot," Gunnarsson said. "I ended up in a weird spot there, but I just threw it in there and I saw the guys on the bench celebrating. I got lucky on that one."
Brett Connolly gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 13:15 of the first period when he tipped an Ovechkin shot.
Tarasenko scored at 1:18 of the second period to tie it 1-1.
St. Louis went ahead at 5:02 of the second when Steen tipped Brayden Schenn's one-timer from the right circle. The goal ended an 0-for-21 drought for the Blues on the power play.
Holtby made two crucial saves late in the game. He stopped Magnus Paajarvi from the slot with 1:55 left in the third after a drop pass from Patrik Berglund. He then got across to deny Berglund at 1:47 of overtime off a centering pass from Colton Parayko.

The Capitals had not played since a 5-4 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, and the rust showed in the second period. The Blues had the first 12 shots on goal and scored twice.
"We have days off and hard practices, but the game is a different speed," Ovechkin said. "First period was very good for us. In the second, we didn't control the game, and [Holtby] was outstanding."
Seven of Washington's past nine games have gone past regulation, and it is 5-0-2 in those games.
"Maybe not the best game for us execution-wise and system-wise," Backstrom said. "But we can build off this. Now we're playing every other day before the (NHL All-Star Game) break (from Jan. 26-30) again. Just got to keep going."

Goal of the game

Backstrom's goal with 43 seconds left in overtime.

Save of the game

Holtby stopping Berglund at 1:49 of overtime.

Highlight of the game

Ovechkin's goal at 8:00 of the third period.

They said it

"I'm looking forward to our next game (against the Florida Panthers). I think that's a big game for us. If we win that game, now we head into the break saying that we're 4-1-1 heading into the break, and I think we'd all be very pleased with that. So, this was a big point today."-- Blues coach Mike Yeo on having one more game before a six-day break
"At the end of the year, four or five points you're either in or out in the [Metropolitan Division]. It's going to be a battle right to the end. I look at the standings every day and I'm like, 'I have no idea who's in, whose out.' Two bad games and you drop three or four spots. It's pretty crazy." -- Capitals coach Barry Trotz on their five wins in overtime or the shootout since Dec. 16.

Need to know

Backstrom's goal was his 197th in the NHL, tying Alexander Semin for fifth in Capitals history. … Tarasenko has three goals and three assists in the past six games.

What's next

Blues:Host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FS-MW, FS-F, NHL.TV)
Capitals: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSWA, SNP, NHL.TV)