Flames' Lindholm caps hat trick with overtime one-timer in Washington
Calgary chases goalie Vitek Vanecek before giving back 3-0 lead by end of 2nd period
Elias Lindholm completed his second career hat trick with a one-timer 2:46 into overtime, and the visiting Calgary Flames beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Saturday.
Lindholm's fourth, fifth and sixth goals of the season helped the Flames to a second consecutive victory at the start of a five-game road trip, this one coming after blowing an early 3-0 lead. Washington had won two in a row.
Andrew Mangiapane added his third on the power play to open the scoring for the Flames, who gave all of their first-period advantage back by the end of the second.
"We knew they were going to come with a push," Lindholm said of the Capitals' comeback. "We battled back in the third, and it was nice to get the win in OT."
WATCH | Lindholm lights lamp in OT after Flames blow 3-goal lead:
Calgary's Dan Vladar made 22 saves for his first win with his new team. Johnny Gaudreau had two assists, including the final feed to Lindholm for an effort that caught the body of goaltender Ilya Samsonov before trickling over the line.
That game-winning play also gave Gaudreau 500 points on his career.
"It's always a pleasure playing with a playmaker like that and a skilled guy," Lindholm said of Gaudreau. "We have a lot of fun out there, and that's why we have so much success."
Alex Ovechkin scored his fifth goal and had an assist for the Capitals, who remain unbeaten in regulation but have lost both their overtime games this season.
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Evgeny Kuznetsov posted his fourth goal to begin Washington's comeback, and Martin Fehervary scored his first in the NHL.
"I'm always positive," Kuznetsov said. "I think we still got the one point. To get down 3-0, that's on us. That's a big problem for us. We will fix that, but, at the same time, we answered the bell."
Ovechkin moved to 735 career goals, bringing him within six of Brett Hull for fourth on the NHL list.
Samsonov replaced Vitek Vanecek to start the second period. He stopped 13 straight shots before he was beaten in overtime.
Lindholm and Kuznetsov traded short-handed goals on either side of the first intermission.
The Capitals closed to 3-2 when Fehervary took a pass from Tom Wilson and beat Vladar inside his right post from near the opposite faceoff circle.
Then Ovechkin leveled the game inside the final two minutes of the period, reaching a loose puck after an unforced turnover and beating Vladar to his near post on a break down the left.
Lindholm is one game shy of tying a club record for consecutive games scoring a goal to begin the season. Gary Roberts scored in the Flames' opening five games of the 1989-90 campaign.
"He's a playmaker, you know?" Vladar said of Lindholm. "You can tell every single time during practice when we have those game situations, he knows how to find the spot, he knows where to shoot it. I wouldn't want to play against him."
WATCH | Lindholm gets Flames rolling Thursday vs. Red Wings:
