Burakovsky gets 2nd goal in OT, Capitals beat Stars 4-3 (Dec 19, 2017)

By AP
Published

DALLAS (AP) Andre Burakovsky had a sense that Tuesday night could be his breakout.

''I just felt really good in the morning skate,'' the Capitals forward said. ''And in the warmup, I had a really good feeling going into this game.''

Burakovsky scored his second goal of the game 1:51 into overtime, lifting Washington over the Dallas Stars 4-3 for its fourth straight win.

He had one goal in his first 14 games this season, but he was ready when John Carlson dropped the puck to him at the blue line. He shot over goalie Ben Bishop from the left faceoff circle for the winner.

''It was nice to see (Burakovsky) get back on the goal-scoring chart,'' Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. ''It was good to get him a couple.''

Burakovsky also assisted on Brett Connolly's tying goal with 2:26 left in the third period.

That goal just 1:41 after Alexander Radulov gave Dallas a 3-2 lead was the one that rankled Stars coach Ken Hitchcock. He interrupted the only postgame question from the media.

''The third goal shouldn't have gone in,'' he said. ''We got beat on the boards three times. Puck was in the net because of it. We had earned the right to finish the game off strong. Game over.''

Then Hitchcock walked off.

''It was really deflating,'' Dallas defenseman Dan Hamhuis said. ''We were obviously quite pumped up after (Radulov) scored to go ahead that late in the game. That's where you really want to close those games out, ensure that you get the two points.''

Burakovsky, Washington's first-round draft pick in 2013, had his first two-goal game since Oct. 13, 2016, at Pittsburgh. In six career games vs. Dallas, he has five goals and two assists.

Braden Holtby made 33 saves for Washington. Bishop stopped 24 shots.

Both teams scored one goal in each of the three periods. Burakovsky, Dmitry Orlov and Connolly scored for Washington. Jamie Benn had a power-play goal in the first period, and Gemel Smith scored in the second.

Connolly and Radulov each had a goal and an assist. Lars Eller had two assists for the Capitals.

Washington scored first at 10:35 of the first period. Connolly passed across the ice to Burakovsky in the right faceoff circle, and he beat Bishop with a shot into the upper left corner of the net.

The Stars tied it eight seconds into their first power play at 15:14. Benn redirected John Klingberg's bouncing shot from the top of the slot.

Smith gave the Stars their first lead at 11:09 of the second period.

Orlov made a move to beat Klingberg and found himself alone in front of Bishop for the goal that tied it at 2 at 13:22 of the second.

''I was like everybody else, holy you-know-what,'' Trotz said. ''That one had the wow factor.''

At 15:53 of the third, Radulov took a pass from Greg Pateryn across the blue line and shot the puck into the lower left of the net from high in the slot. At 17:34, Connolly put a wrist shot past Bishop from in front of the net.

NOTES: Dallas had been 2 for 39 on the power play in the previous 14 games, and went 1 for 4 on Tuesday. ... Capitals RW T.J. Oshie returned after missing six games with a concussion. ... The Stars traded D Jamie Oleksiak, a healthy scratch throughout their four-game Eastern trip, to Pittsburgh for a conditional fourth-round draft pick. ... Washington RW Tom Wilson increased his league-leading penalty minutes to 91 with eight minutes. He was in the box for roughing when Benn scored for Dallas. ... Smith has scored in consecutive games for the first time in his 40 career games.

UP NEXT

Capitals: Play the second game of a four-game trip on Friday at Arizona.

Stars: Host Chicago on Thursday in the second game of a three-game homestand.

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