Chychrun scores in OT, Capitals rally past Devils to end 3-game skid

Jakob Chychrun scored with 54 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Washington Capitals rallied for a 4-3 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday.

Chychrun skated around New Jersey forward Paul Cotter down the left side on the rush and batted his own rebound out of the air past Jake Allen from in tight.

“Just put your head down and see if you can gain a step,” Chychrun said. “I felt like before I even entered the zone I had a step on him and he didn’t seem to be gaining on me so that’s when I kind of committed to it.”

Aliaksei Protas had two goals and an assist, and Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (20-13-5), who had lost three straight (0-2-1) and six of seven (1-4-2). Logan Thompson made 35 saves.

“Just a display of the Caps resiliency,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “It was not pretty. It was downright ugly at times in that game where they had us on our heels. But we kept fighting, we grabbed some momentum for good portions of that game.”

Jesper Bratt scored twice, and Cody Glass had a goal for the Devils (20-16-2), who have lost three straight (0-2-1). Allen made 29 saves.

“We played a good game,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Found ways to a couple in the third period that obviously put us in a position to win. One on the power play, two at even strength, that should be enough to win you games. We gave them too many tonight.”

Dylan Strome appeared to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 11:58 of the first period when he scored on a rebound, but the Devils challenged the zone entry and after a video review the play was ruled offside.

Protas put Washington up 1-0 with less than a second left in the first period. Ovechkin controlled a loose puck along the left wall and centered to Protas, who redirected the puck over Allen.

“You’ve got to be engaged in the play,” Bratt said. “You’ve got to know the time that’s left on the clock. Finish plays. It’s a lot different going into the second [period] in a tie game when we’re playing like that.”

Protas has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past five games.

“I thought he was fantastic,” Carbery said of Protas. “Noticeable in all three zones. Even his breakout wall play was so strong. Good decisions with the puck. I’m moving him around different lines, he’s playing with different centermen. Has three points tonight. Terrific night for him.”

Bratt tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 4:56 of the second period. Nico Hischier got to a rebound in the slot and quickly passed to Bratt, who scored with a snap shot from the bottom of the right circle.

Anthony Beauvillier put the Capitals ahead 2-1 at 17:33. New Jersey forward Jack Hughes turned the puck over to Protas in the Devils' defensive zone, and then Beauvillier collected the loose puck and beat Allen with a wrist shot from the low slot.

Bratt evened the game 2-2 with his second goal at 7:00 of the third period when he spun around at the left point and scored on a wrist shot through a screen.

Glass gave New Jersey a 3-2 lead just 32 seconds later at 7:32, beating Thompson's left skate with a tap-in from the bottom of the right circle off a centering pass from Connor Brown.

The Devils had scored two or fewer goals in their past five games.

“It was good to see some pucks go in the net for the guys up front,” Allen said. “We created some momentum there in the second and in the third. You’ve got to take a lot of decent things away from [this game].”

Ovechkin tied it 3-3 at 9:17. Rasmus Sandin skated down the slot and passed to Ovechkin at the left of the net, where he lifted a wrist shot over the stick of a sprawling Allen.

“It was a great play by ‘Sandy’ to find me out there and it was a huge goal for us,” Ovechkin said. “After that…we had like five or six chances and we could have easily scored, but we’ll save them for the next game.”

NOTES: Strome has five points (one goal, four assists) in a four-game streak. ... Bratt's goals were his 477th and 478th career points, moving him past Scott Niedermayer (476) for sixth place in Devils/Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies history.