Kuemper makes 32 saves, Capitals shut out Flames

WASHINGTON -- Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves for the Washington Capitals in a 3-0 win against the Calgary Flames 3-0 at Capital One Arena on Friday.

The shutout was Kuemper's second of the season and came one game after the Washington goalie was displeased with his performance in a 3-2 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
"Tonight wasn't about last game, it was about building off that win," Kuemper said. "We've been talking about stringing a few wins together, so that was the focus tonight, just to come in and kind of do my job and help the team the best I can."
Alex Ovechkin scored his 791st NHL goal and had an assist, and T.J. Oshie had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (9-10-3), who have won two in a row for the first time since Oct. 22-24. Sonny Milano had two assists.
Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves for the Flames (9-8-3), who are 2-2-1 entering the finale of a six-game road trip at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
"I think they were better with the puck than we were," Calgary forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. "That was the difference. We had chances and didn't capitalize on them, and they did."
Oshie gave Washington a 1-0 lead at 7:56 of the first period when Erik Gustafsson split two defenders on the rush and dropped a pass back to Oshie, who scored from between the face-off circles.

Oshie has four points (one goal, three assists) in two games after missing the previous 11 because of a lower-body injury.
"Just nice to have a guy that's not afraid to make a play and if it's not going to work out, he's not afraid to make another one after that," Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov said of Oshie. "You have to have lots of games behind your back to be able to execute and make some plays and not be afraid to make mistakes."
Kuemper made 15 saves in the first, including a pad save on Tyler Toffoli alone in front with 1:56 left.
"We talked about coming out [well] in the first [period] and we did," Flames forward Elias Lindholm said. "After that they took over and were the better team."
Kuznetsov made it 2-0 at 16:37 of the second on the rush when he skated between defensemen Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov, cut to his left and slid the puck under Markstrom's right pad as he was falling to the ice.
"It's amazing," Oshie said. "[Kuznetsov] does so many things that they're still impressive, but not surprising anymore. He's such an impactful player for us, such a huge part of our success, so to see him going is great."
Ovechkin extended the lead to 3-0 at 12:24 of the third, scoring on a wrist shot from the left circle after controlling a pass across the slot from Conor Sheary with his skates.
"That's why we play soccer before the games, you know?" Ovechkin said.

Ovechkin is 11 goals shy of tying Gordie Howe (801) for second on the League's all-time goals list. Wayne Gretzky leads with 894.
NOTES: Calgary center Elias Lindholm won 12 of 19 face-offs (63 percent). … It was just the second shutout in Capitals history against the Flames, and the first in which they scored a goal; Washington's previous shutout against Calgary was a 0-0 tie on Oct. 30, 1998. … The Capitals begin a six-game, 12-day road trip, their longest of the season, at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.