Jackets Drop Caps in OT, 2-1

All things considered, the Capitals had to be pleased to pull a point out of Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Hosting the Jackets at Capital One Arena, the Caps fell down 1-0 exactly a minute into the game, and they spent the next 58 minutes chasing that slim deficit. The Caps finally tied the tilt with 66 seconds left on Evgeny Kuznetsov's one-timer from the right circle with goalie Pheonix Copley off for an extra attacker.
But the Jackets prevailed in the extra session on Artemi Panarin's power-play goal at 3:30, a one-timer from the left circle that beat Copley on the short side, a dozen seconds after Nicklas Backstrom was boxed for slashing.
"I thought they played a very desperate, urgent game," says Caps coach Todd Reirden of the Jackets. "We weren't on top of our game as well as we have been, so it was good to get a point out of there, and unfortunate to give one up on the PK in overtime."

Copley came on in relief of Braden Holtby, who left the game midway through the second when Cam Atkinson, author of the Jackets' first goal, got his stick tangled up in Holtby's mask, jimmying the bucket off Holtby's head and putting the Caps on a power play.
"He wasn't able to return to the game and we will get some more evaluation [Saturday night]," says Reirden, "and then know a little bit more tomorrow and have a better update for you guys then."
Copley came in cold and performed excellently. His left pad save on a Lukas Sedlak semi-breakaway midway through the third prevented the Jackets from going up 2-0 and likely secured the Caps a standings point.
The game was like both the weather (sloppy) and the traffic (fitful) outside of Capital One Arena on this wintery night, and the ice was less than ideal after an afternoon of college hoops that required a couple of overtimes to produce a winner.
Noted Caps killer Atkinson staked the Jackets to an early lead, scoring on a breakaway after Markus Nuitvaara sprung him into Washington ice with a perfect stretch pass.

"I anticipated," says Atkinson, "I could see the whole play develop and I was just hoping. I was calling for it, but I was hoping - especially when he picked his head up - that he would see me. He made a great play, and it was a nice goal."
Columbus threatened for more early, and had several strong chances to pad its lead, including an early power play on which the Jackets pumped eight shot attempts toward the Caps' cage, but managed to get just one on net. Three missed and four were blocked.
"The power play in that first period I thought was really good and we never hit the net," says Columbus coach John Tortorella.
At night's end, the Jackets had nearly as many missed shots (20) as shots on net (22), The Caps got in the way of 13 Columbus shot tries, too.
"If there is one downfall in our game," laments Tortorella, "it's how many times we shot that puck wide tonight, and how many were blocked. I think there was over 30 shooting opportunities that were blocked or we missed the net, especially in that first period."
The Caps had a power play chance late in the first, but didn't have key weapon Alex Ovechkin, who was back in the bowels of the barn getting sutures for a cut on his hand.
Holtby kept the Caps close, and after he left, Copley did so as well. But the Caps didn't do much to help themselves offensively. Their forays into the attack zone were too frequently of the none- or one-and-done variety, and their puck management often betrayed them, sometimes with aid from the ice conditions, a plague that vexed both sides.

"They ended up gaining some momentum," says Tortorella, "but lot of their chances, we had some good sticks. When the shots got through with chances, Korpi was big."
With Copley pulled for the extra attacker in the penultimate minute of regulation, the Jackets iced the puck, giving the Caps a left dot draw in the offensive zone with 70 seconds left.
Four seconds later, the game was tied.
Backstrom pulled the puck to Ovechkin, stationed just above the dot, atop the left circle. Ovechkin began an umbrella rotation, moving it to John Carlson at left point. Carlson put it on a tee for Kuznetsov, who was locked and loaded for a one-timer above the right circle. He cranked a shot past Korpisalo to make it 1-1 with 1:06 left.
"That was a big face-off for us there obviously in that situation [with the] goalie pulled," says Reirden. "I felt we had a little bit of a tired group from their side of things so we went ahead without a timeout. Our players are very prepared for that situation and are able to convert on that face-off. Great job by Kuzy and good to see him get rewarded there.
Face-offs have not been a high point for the Caps this season, but that win produced a point for the Caps. Alas, another Washington face-off win in overtime preceded Panarin's game-winner, but the Caps couldn't corral and clear the puck. Panarin gained possession and scored after a quick exchange with Seth Jones at center point.
On a night in which they trailed for most of 58 minutes, lost their starting goaltender to injury, and didn't play to their capabilities, the Caps can consider themselves fortunate to lose a point to the Jackets in the standings, rather than two.
"This was a tough game to get into from that standpoint," says Reirden, "but I'm really happy for us to get a point out of that at the end there. It's a really important point."