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Capitals down Penguins in overtime

Oct 14, 2011 - 3:34 AM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Dennis Wideman scored the game-winner 2:48 into overtime as the Washington Capitals took a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at CONSOL Energy Center.

Skating on their only power play of the game after Jordan Staal was called for tripping, Nicklas Backstrom skated into the Pittsburgh end from the left side and chipped a pass over to the right for Wideman, who shot the puck into the left corner as Brent Johnson was sliding over to cover for the win.

While the game was bittersweet for Pittsburgh, the team did get some good news on Thursday as All-Star center Sidney Crosby was cleared for contact. He has been out since January 5 with a concussion he suffered in a game against Tampa Bay, but he had been practicing with the team.

Mike Knuble and Alex Ovechkin each scored a goal while Tomas Vokoun stopped 39 shots for the Capitals, who have won all three of their games this season with two of the wins coming in overtime and one in the shootout.

"He was pretty good tonight like he is most nights", said Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau about Vokoun. "They had a bunch of close-in shots and he was there for all of them."

James Neal scored both goals for the Penguins, who won their home opener on Tuesday against Florida. Johnson made just 16 stops.

"It's just one of those games where we could have won if we got a bounce here or there," said Johnson. "But there's a lot of hockey left to play in this season."

The first goal of the game went to Pittsburgh just 2:27 in. Evgeni Malkin skated into the zone from the left side and left a drop pass. Steve Sullivan took the pass and fired it over to the far right side where Neal shot it home.

At the 1:20 mark of the second, Washington tied the game when Knuble received the puck along the deep, left boards and charged the net. He was forced away, but the puck left his stick and found its way in.

Just 40 seconds into the third, the Caps took the lead as a left point shot from Mike Green was tipped into the net by Ovechkin in front. It was initially not ruled a goal but after play stopped, the replay showed the puck went in and the Caps held a 2-1 lead.

However, the Pens kept applying pressure and forced a holding call on Troy Brouwer at the 15:12 mark.

On the man advantage, Malkin brought the puck into the Washington end from the right and at the point he fed the disc over to the left for Neal, who beat Vokoun through the five-hole with 3:45 remaining in regulation.

Game Notes

In a fight between Pittsburgh's Aaron Asham and Washington's Jay Beagle at the 5:54 mark of the third, Asham connected with two rights to the jaw, with the second punch dropping Beagle. He laid on the ice for several minutes, bleeding from the mouth and had to be helped off the ice...Washington hosts Ottawa on Saturday...The Penguins host Buffalo on Saturday...Washington took three of the four games against Pittsburgh last season...Neal has four goals so far this season.