Sanderson scores in OT, Senators hand Capitals 6th straight loss

WASHINGTON -- Jake Sanderson scored 41 seconds into overtime for the Ottawa Senators, who handed the Washington Capitals their sixth straight loss with a 3-2 win at Capital One Arena on Sunday.

Sanderson skated along the blue line and beat goalie Charlie Lindgren with a wrist shot through traffic from the left point.

“Just possessing the puck a little bit,” Sanderson said. “We talked on the bench before that they might pull their goalie, so just trying to hold onto the puck. I got up top and I saw that Brady [Tkachuk] was kind of going to screen the goalie a little bit and I kind of just shot off his back and the goalie didn’t see it.”

Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist, and Mark Kastelic also scored for the Senators (34-39-4), who had lost three straight, including 4-3 to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Joonas Korpisalo made 20 saves.

“I thought we battled hard, especially after an emotional night like last night,” Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. “We were very physical last night, so I thought we needed everybody tonight. We needed our bench tonight.”

Max Pacioretty and Aliaksei Protas scored for the Capitals (36-30-11), who are 0-4-2 in their past six and sit one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Lindgren made 18 saves.

“We just need to play better,” Capitals defenseman John Carlson said. “I don't think we're firing on all cylinders like we were there for a little bit. Too many turnovers, too many mistakes that we shouldn't be making and giving teams more life than they deserve or need.”

Pacioretty gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 4:43 of the first period with a one-timer from the bottom of the right face-off circle off a touch pass from Hendrix Lapierre.

Kastelic tied it 1-1 at 5:40 of the second period. He took a pass from Jakob Chychrun in the right circle, drove to the net and lifted a backhand over Lindgren’s glove in front.

“It's just been a little tough, but we'll put our head down, keep working,” Lapierre said. “We know we believe in this group. I think that's the most important thing, everyone still believes, and we'll find a way through this."

Protas put the Capitals ahead 2-1 at 17:10, scoring in front on the rebound of Trevor van Riemsdyk’s wrist shot from the left point.

“There’s some good stretches of that game that we play at a decently high level, it’s just sustaining that and being consistent with it," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "It’s a real struggle for us right now to do it for 60 minutes.”

Greig tied it 2-2 at 12:49 of the third period, taking a pass from Shane Pinto and scoring with a wrist shot through traffic from between the circles.

“It was kind of a scrum on the blue line and [Pinto] was able to find me in the pocket there, and [Mathieu Joseph] with a good screen and I was able to bury it,” Greig said.

NOTES: Pinto has at least one point in each of his five career games against the Capitals (two goals, five assists). … Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin left the game after the first period with an upper-body injury. “He’s going to miss some time,” Carbery said.