Capitals 4 - 3 Lightning
Final
  for this game

Fehr nets two, Capitals edge struggling Bolts

Feb 15, 2013 - 5:20 AM Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Eric Fehr scored twice and the Washington Capitals held off the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, on Thursday.

Troy Brouwer and Jay Beagle each scored, while Mathieu Perreault added three assists for the Capitals, who have won three straight. Braden Holtby stopped 27 shots in the win.

"We had some really good shifts out there tonight," said Beagle. "We're all starting to click together out there and are starting to feel the system that coach wants from us."

Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist, while Teddy Purcell and Nate Thompson also scored for the Lightning, who are in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Mathieu Garon gave up all four goals on 39 shots in the loss.

"What I find hard about this is that our guys worked really hard out there tonight," said Tampa Bay head coach Guy Boucher. "I felt sorry for the guys because they kept working and working at it, we just ran out of time."

Washington held a 4-1 lead in the third, but the Lightning cut their deficit to two at the 12:02 mark when Purcell put the puck in the net for his third goal of the season.

Tampa then made it a one-goal game with 3:13 to play as St. Louis sprung Thompson for a breakaway. Holtby came out of the net in an effort to play the puck, but Thompson moved around him and deposited a backhand into the open net.

That was as close as it got, though, as Washington was able to hold off a furious attack which included Tampa skating with an extra skater after pulling Garon in the final minute.

Washington struck just 2:40 in on a power play when Brouwer one-timed a shot from the slot off a Perreault feed for an early 1-0 lead.

Tampa answered six minutes later on a rush into the Washington end that saw St. Louis bang the loose puck in from the right for his fourth of the year.

The Caps took the lead back at the 5:09 mark of the second frame as Joel Ward stole the puck behind the net and centered it with Fehr eventually putting it in for a 2-1 lead.

It was Fehr lighting the lamp again when his big slap shot from the right wing gave the team a 3-1 advantage just 2:22 into the third.

Washington gave itself a 4-1 lead just over five minutes later during a scrum in front of the net that Beagle punched in for his first of the season.

Game Notes

Washington plays in New York against the Rangers on Sunday ... Tampa plays in Florida on Saturday ... Tampa had taken a 6-3 decision over Washington on Jan. 19 ... Brouwer has four goals in his last three games ... Washington scored on its one power play chance while Tampa was held off the board on its two opportunities.






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