WASHINGTON -- Having scored two goals in the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals forward Eric Fehr joked earlier this week that he would share the goal-scoring glory with his teammates.

He eventually did, but not before opening the scoring Thursday in Washington’s 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic outracing Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook to a bouncing puck before charging up ice and beating goaltender Corey Crawford at 7:01 of the first period.

"Play 82 outside, play all 82 outside and [Fehr] would lead the League," forward Brooks Laich said.

WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik went from being a questionable to play Thursday because of a knee injury to playing a team-high 24:44 in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park.

Orpik, who sustained a knee injury in a game Monday against the New York Islanders, said he decided after warm-ups he was capable of playing. He wore a brace on his right knee that helped him get through the game unscathed.

"I felt better on the ice than I did off the ice," Orpik said following the Capitals 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. "Without the brace on, it's a little worse, so once you get the brace on it's a little more secure. Obviously I really wanted to play in the game."

WASHINGTON -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg left the Bridgestone 2015 NHL Winter Classic with a hand injury and did not return.

Versteeg blocked Washington Capitals forward Eric Fehr's shot from the slot 48 seconds into the third period Thursday at Nationals Park, and left the playing surface with a towel covering his left hand. He also left the Blackhawks' dressing room with his hand wrapped in medical gauze.

Washington's Troy Brouwer scored with 12.9 seconds remaining in the third period to claim a 3-2 victory.

"We'll know more tomorrow, but we'll see," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "He could be out for a bit, but we'll know more tomorrow."

WASHINGTON -- After months of preparation, Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis saw a dream come to fruition Thursday: the Capitals hosted, and more importantly, won the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

Leonsis was all smiles in the Capitals' dressing room at Nationals Park after Troy Brouwer's goal with 12.9 seconds remaining in the third period gave Washington a 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks in front of a raucous crowd of 42,832.

"I knew that our fans would fill the stands, be a sea of red," Leonsis said. "I knew that the NHL really has their execution of this event down. And we were good hosts. We spent a lot of time, I personally spent a lot of time, walking around the building. I saw all the care over every detail."

WASHINGTON -- The Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals finished the second period tied at 2-2 on Thursday in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park.

Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad tied the game with a redirection goal 3:15 into the second period. It was Saad's ninth goal of the season. It came off of a Capitals giveaway that led to two bang-bang passes from Marian Hossa to Jonathan Toews and from Toews to Saad.

Capitals defenseman John Carlson tried to send the puck around the end boards to Brooks Orpik, but his soft backhanded pass off the end boards from the left circle never made it to Orpik on the other side.

The puck hit off the boards and caromed off the back of the goal, where it was intercepted Hossa. He quickly found Toews in the right circle; Toews one-touched a pass to Saad, who was cutting through the left circle with his stick out for the redirection.

With the assist, Toews became the NHL's all-time leader in points in outdoor games with five on two goals and three assists in three games. He also played in the 2009 NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field and in the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series game at Soldier Field.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With assist on Brandon Saad’s goal, Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews has the most points (2-3—5, 3GP) in NHL outdoor-game history.

Toews, the Chicago captain, received the primary assist on Chicago's second goal, which was started with a pass from Marian Hossa and finished with a relatively easy conversion by Saad. The goal, at 3:15 of the second period, tied the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at National Park on Thursday.

Toews has played in two other outdoor games: the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field and the 2014 Stadium Series Game at Soldier Field

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission of the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park on Thursday.

Eric Fehr and Alex Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead, but Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp scored a power-play goal at 13:36. The Capitals outshot the Blackhawks 15-13.

Fehr scored his 11th goal of the season on a breakaway at 7:01 to give Washington a 1-0 lead. He became the NHL's all-time leading scorer in outdoor games with three goals. Fehr also scored two goals in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Fehr sprung himself for a breakaway after Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook was unable to keep the puck in at the right point. Fehr gained a step on Seabrook and went in alone on Chicago goalie Corey Crawford, deking to his forehand to tuck it inside the right post.

Ovechkin scored off a rebound from the lower part of the left circle to give Washington a 2-0 lead at 11:58. Crawford fumbled Mike Green's shot from the right point, leaving the puck out for Ovechkin, who had an open net to shoot at from the left side.

Sharp cut the deficit in half seven seconds after Nicklas Backstrom was called for holding Jonathan Toews in the offensive zone. Sharp beat Capitals goalie Braden Holtby with a wrist shot through traffic coming out of the sun and into the shade from the right point. Andrew Shaw was in front of the net screening Holtby.

WASHINGTON -- The Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals got the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Thursday underway on time in front of a capacity crowd at Nationals Park.

The game-time temperature was 43.3 degrees Fahrenheit. The teams are scheduled to switch sides midway through the first period because of the glare from the sun at third-base end of the ice.

Rock icon Billy Idol performed prior to the start of the game, opening with his hit "Rebel Yell." A flyover took place while the U.S. Army Chorus performed the Star-Spangled Banner.

Washington, D.C. -- The 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic started on time Thursday, but the NHL decided that the team's would switch ends midway through the first period to minimize any advantage gained from the elements, particularly the glare from the overhead sun.

The Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks will switch the goals being defended at the first whistle after the 10-minute mark of the first period.

WASHINGTON – Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik will play against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic after being a game-time decision.

Orpik, 34, injured his right knee Monday against the New York Islanders and did not practice Wednesday at Nationals Park, undergoing treatment at the Capitals’ practice facility instead. He later joined his teammates for Washington’s family skate.

Trotz said Wednesday that there was no structural damage to Orpik’s knee, an encouraging diagnosis considering Orpik had to be helped to the locker room by two teammates following his third-period collision with Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck.

During warm-ups, Orpik skated alongside John Carlson, his regular defensive partner.