Capitals 4 - 3 Lightning
Final
  for this game

Fehr's late goal helps Caps stop skid

Jan 10, 2014 - 5:06 AM Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Eric Fehr scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 52 seconds left, as the Washington Capitals took a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

Marcus Johansson and Mikhail Grabovski also scored while Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin added one assist apiece for the Capitals, who snapped a four- game skid. Philipp Grubauer made 33 saves in the win.

"We were lucky to be able to come back and get the win," Fehr said.

Tyler Johnson, B.J. Crombeen and Ondrej Palat scored one goal apiece for the Lightning, who had won three of four entering the contest. Anders Lindback allowed all four goals on 20 shots in the setback.

Washington led 3-2 entering the final period, but Palat tipped in a Matt Carle shot from the point to tie things up at 14:30.

Fehr, though, netted the game-winner off a Mike Green shot from the right circle. Green fired a shot into traffic and Fehr happened to be in the right place at the right time and re-directed the disc into the back of the net.

"We clearly did not manage the last minute of the game," Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said. "We just broke down at the end. We haven't done that all year and I suppose at some point it was bound to happen."

The Capitals were able to hold off a late surge from the Lightning to secure the win.

Johnson opened up the scoring just over four minutes in. Palat skipped a pass to Johnson on a breakaway. Johnson skated in and drew Grubauer out of the net and on his knees before going top shelf for the goal.

The Caps scored the next three goals to take a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes.

First, Fehr took a cross-ice feed from Ovechkin and was able to sneak the puck past Lindback's glove and the far post to tie things up at 7:04.

Just over 3 1/2 minutes later, Grabovski lit the lamp on a power play when he wristed one into the back of the net from right circle.

Johansson capped the big period with his power-play marker with just 12 seconds remaining in the first. Backstrom passed it to Johansson on the goal line and he skated to the front of a wide-open net and stuffed it home.

Crombeen's first goal of the season made it 3-2 at the 6:45 mark of the second.

Game Notes

Backstrom is fourth in the NHL with 37 assists ... The Caps were 2-for-3 on the power play ... Washington opens a three-game homestand with Toronto on Friday ... Palat also had an assist ... Tampa Bay opens a four-game road trip in Philadelphia on Saturday.






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