Caps win shootout to beat Thrashers 6-5

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Game Information

Arena: Philips Arena Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Referees: IanWalsh Linesmen: SteveMiller, DerekNansen

Attendance: 16,078 (86.7% full)

Team Stat Comparison
230	Goals	276
300	Goals Against	270
72	Power Play Goals	100
116	Power Play Goals Allowed	102
15	Shorthanded Goals	13
18	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	10
1499	Penalty Minutes	1344
18	Average Penalty Minutes	16

Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD			WAS	ATL
5:37		Jeff Halpern (Power Play) Assists: Andrew Cassels, Brian Willsie	1	0
6:37		Ilya Kovalchuk Assists: Marc Savard, Marian Hossa	1	1
11:38		Brooks Laich Assists: Dainius Zubrus, Alex Ovechkin	2	1
13:08		Slava Kozlov (Power Play) Assists: Marian Hossa, Marc Savard	2	2
13:57		Marc Savard (Power Play) Assists: Ronald Petrovicky, Marian Hossa	2	3
2ND PERIOD			WAS	ATL
5:04		Alex Ovechkin (Power Play) Assists: Jamie Heward, Mathieu Biron	3	3
6:03		Mathieu Biron (Power Play) Assists: Jamie Heward, Alex Ovechkin	4	3
16:00		Dainius Zubrus Assists: Alex Ovechkin, Shaone Morrisonn	5	3
3RD PERIOD			WAS	ATL
4:45		Andy Sutton (Power Play) Assists: Niclas Havelid, Marian Hossa	5	4
8:29		Marian Hossa Assists: Slava Kozlov	5	5
OT			WAS	ATL
No scoring this period			5	5
Shootout Summary
	Ilya Kovalchuk shootout attempt against Brent Johnson with a Snapshot results in a SAVE!
	Marian Hossa shootout attempt against Brent Johnson with a Wristshot results in a SAVE!
	Alexander Ovechkin shootout attempt against Michael Garnett with a Wristshot results in a GOAL!
	null
	Andrew Cassels shootout attempt against Michael Garnett with a Wristshot results in a SAVE!
	Slava Kozlov shootout attempt against Brent Johnson with a Wristshot results in a SAVE!

ATLANTA (AP) -- Washington rookie Alexander Ovechkin ended a personal scoring skid and then added to his shootout mastery of the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday night.

After having a goal and three assists in regulation to end his mini-slump of two games without a point, Ovechkin scored the only goal in the shootout to lift Washington past Atlanta 6-5, giving the Capitals a rare road victory.

Ovechkin also scored the only shootout goal in the Capitals' 3-2 win over the Thrashers in Washington on Nov. 4.

"When I got into the shootout, I know what I'm going to do," Ovechkin said. "I just got the shot that was available and was able to make."

The Capitals are 4-2 in shootouts.

After Washington's Andrew Cassels and Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk had shots blocked to lead off the shootout, Ovechkin's shot over Atlanta goaltender Michael Garnett's glove hit the bottom of the crossbar and dropped into the net to give the Capitals the lead.

Marian Hossa, who tied a Thrashers record with five points, and Slava Kozlov had shots stopped by Washington goaltender Brent Johnson to leave the Thrashers scoreless in the shootout.

Johnson stopped 29 shots, including two in overtime, for his second win of the season.

Johnson, giving regular goalie Olie Kolzig a night off, surpassed Washington coach Glen Hanlon's expectations.

"We just expect him to hold strong and steal us a point," said Hanlon of Johnson. "It was unexpected for him to shut them out in a shootout."

Washington improved to 4-11-1 on the road. The Capitals snapped a two-game losing streak and won for only the third times in their last 12 games.

The Capitals also beat Atlanta 3-2 in a shootout on Nov. 4 in Washington.

The Thrashers were denied their first four-game winning streak of the season. They fell to 0-4 in shootouts but took some consolation in rallying from a 5-3 deficit with two goals in the third period.

"This was still a good point for us," Hossa said. "We came back after we been down. In shootouts, it seems we cannot win."

After setting a franchise record with 55 shots on goal but still losing 3-2 to Florida on Sunday, the Capitals needed a season high for goals in a game to take the win. They outshot the Thrashers 37-34.

"If you don't shoot the puck, how are you going to score goals?" Ovechkin asked.

Jeff Halpern, Brooks Laich, Mathieu Biron and Dainius Zubrus also had goals for the Capitals.

Hossa had a goal and four assists for Atlanta. Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Marc Savard and Andy Sutton also had goals for the Thrashers.

The Capitals needed only two periods to match their scoring high for the season with five goals. Washington had scored five goals four times this season, most recently in a 5-1 win over the New York Rangers on Dec. 3.

Washington led 5-3 after two periods, but Atlanta pulled even with third-period goals from Sutton, his first of the season, and Hossa, setting up the scoreless overtime.

Washington is 8-0 when allowing no more than two goals, but it had won only two of 23 games when giving up three or more goals. That changed with Thursday night's high-scoring game.

The Thrashers took a 3-2 lead in the first period, but the Capitals answered with three goals in the second period for a 5-3 advantage.

Kovalchuk drew a 10-minute misconduct penalty 2:02 into the third penalty. The penalty came after Kovalchuk threw his stick handle over the glass after breaking his stick on a shot attempt.

"I broke my stick and threw it away," he said. "I didn't do it on purpose."

Game notes
With Serge Aubin unable to play due to flu symptoms, the Thrashers recalled forward Karl Stewart from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. Atlanta also recalled G Adam Berkhoel from Gwinnett of the ECHL. ... The Capitals pulled even in the series with Atlanta, 2-2.