Blues 1 - 4 Capitals
Final
  for this game

Ovechkin, Capitals top Blues

Nov 18, 2013 - 3:27 AM Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Alex Ovechkin scored twice while Braden Holtby made 46 stops as the Washington Capitals took a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.

John Carlson and Mikhail Grabovski each scored a goal while Nicklas Backstrom posted three assists for the Capitals, who have won three straight and seven of nine.

"I think we've been playing decent hockey and hopefully we'll continue to grow," said Washington head coach Adam Oates.

Vladimir Sobotka scored the only goal of the game for the Blues, who had won five of six coming into the game.

Jaroslav Halak was pulled less than 16 minutes into the game after allowing three goals on six shots. Brian Elliott stopped 13 shots the rest of the way.

The Capitals got on the board at 7:17 of the first period as Backstrom left the puck for Ovechkin in the neutral zone and he flew into the St. Louis end. From the right circle, Ovechkin blasted a shot past Halak.

Just over five minutes later, Ovechkin scored his second of the game and 17th of the season when he put home a rebound in front of the net for a 2-0 lead.

Washington took a 3-0 lead with 4:19 left in the opening frame as Jason Chimera fired a shot on net from the slot that was stopped, with Grabovski potting the rebound for his seventh of the season.

The Blues got on the board at 5:29 of the second on the power play as Sobotka found the back of the net on a wrister from the top of the slot.

Washington, though, got it back four minutes later with a power-play goal of its own as Carlson's one-timer in the high slot off a feed from Backstrom made it a 4-1 game.

"We got great effort from Sobotka's line. That line was outstanding," said Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock. "I really thought when it was 3-1 we were going to win the hockey game. I thought we had them on their heels. We were really coming on the forecheck, and we were really creating a lot of turnovers. They got that fourth goal and it kind of took the wind out of our sails a little bit."

Holtby turned away 19 shots in the final frame to hold on for the win.

Game Notes

Washington hosts Pittsburgh on Wednesday ... St. Louis plays in Buffalo on Tuesday ... Washington has won three of the last four over St. Louis ... Both teams scored once on the power play, with Washington having four chances and St. Louis five.






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