POSTGAME NOTEBOOK: Caps 4, Sabres 3

Bringing It From The Back - The Caps entered Friday night's game against the Sabres in Buffalo with 97 goals at 5-on-5 on the season, tops in the NHL. But the Caps also carried a two-game losing run into Friday's game, as well as a streak of more than 130 minutes without scoring a goal at 5-on-5.

With complementary assistance from its blueline corps, the Caps scored four goals at even strength in a 4-3 victory over the Sabres. Washington scored early in the opening period, doing so on its first shot on net of the night. It added another goal in the middle of the first and kept the Sabres at bay the rest of the way, tacking on a 4-on-4 tally early in the second and a third-period goal from Jakub Vrana as well.
Brenden Dillon got the Caps started with his second goal of the season; his first also came in Buffalo back on Jan. 14, opening night of the 2020-21 season. Recently reunited with Justin Schultz as a defensive duo, the two British Columbia natives had a big night, combining for two goals and five points in Friday's win.
"It's hard to generate offense," says Dillon. "Teams are so good defensively with their sticks and blocking shots, whatever it is, so when we're able to add a fourth man or a fifth man - whether that's off the rush or in [offensive] zone play - we feel our guys can skate and we can get up in the play and add [to the attack].
"We've been focusing on just trying to get pucks through from the blue line. Again, teams are so good at getting in lanes and boxing out. It was fortunate tonight that it worked out that way where we're able to contribute and add to that offense and it definitely feels nice when you get nice when you get rewarded."
Schultz scored a 4-on-4 goal early in the second, pounding a one-timer home after Lars Eller won a left dot draw and then occupied a defender along the wall while backhanding the puck to Schultz at the left point. With each team already down a skater and Eller and his man along the half wall, Schultz had room to walk to the high slot before unleashing a cannon of a shot for his third goal of the season.
"Sometimes it's just about winning a one-on-one battle or a race to the puck," recounts Eller, who picked up two assists and played a part in three Washington goals. "When you do that, all of a sudden it opens up for somebody else. He just really capitalized and took advantage of that chance."
Both Dillon and Schultz scored from their "off" sides of the ice, too.
"On my goal," says Dillon, "you kind of get into the zone, and whenever one of us is joining the play, sometimes you get to the opposite side. We both feel really comfortable playing on either side of the ice when we do get into that scenario. Of course you want to get back to strong sides when you can, but you do kind of open up that one-timer possibility, which Schultzy put on a tee for me.
"You work on that stuff in practice, playing on your off side. The game looks a little different, but in certain instances, it can be it can be a positive."
Settle For One - Alex Ovechkin scored the Caps' second goal of the night - his 21st of the season and the 727th of his NHL career - and he appeared to have scored a second goal late in the third period of Friday's game. But the second one was washed out by a successful video challenge from the Sabres; after a closer look on video, officials ruled that Washington winger Tom Wilson was offside on the play.
Ovechkin is now five goals shy of passing Hockey Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne (731) for fifth place on the NHL's all-time goals ledger.
His Friday night goal was the 457th even-strength goal of Ovechkin's career, pushing him one ahead of Hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull (456) for sole possession of sixth place in NHL history. He now trails Wayne Gretzky (617), Gordie Howe (566), Jaromir Jagr (538), Marcel Dionne (478) and Mike Gartner (467) on that list.
Johnny B. Goode - Caps defenseman John Carlson also collected an assist in Friday's game, his 25th of the season and third in the last two games. Carlson has yet to go more than three games without a point this season and he has picked up at least a point in 26 of his 41 games this season.
In his last 25 games, Carlson has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists). Among the NHL's top five defensemen in scoring, Carlson's 23 even-strength points rank first.
V is For Victory - Caps goalie Vitek Vanecek earned his 16th win of the season (16-7-3) on Friday night and his fifth this season over the Sabres (5-0-1). The 16 victories is tops among all NHL rookie goalies and ranks tied for fifth overall. Vanecek has matched Ilya Samsonov's win total (16-6-2) from his own rookie season a year ago.
In his last three starts, Vanecek has stopped 90 of the 95 shots he has faced for a .947 save pct. He is now 11-4-1 in his last 17 games (16 starts).
By The Numbers -Carlson led the Capitals with 23:17 in ice time … Ovechkin led the Caps with five shots on net and seven shot attempts … Garnet Hathaway led the Capitals with seven hits … Carlson led Washington with three blocked shots … Nicklas Backstrom won nine of 14 draws (64 percent) and Eller won six of 10 (60 percent) … Through 41 games of the season - what would normally be the midway mark of a full 82-game season - the Caps are 26-11-4 for 56 points, a 112-point pace over a "normal" regular season. That would be the fourth best season in the franchise's 46-season history.