CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Marcus Johansson scored twice to lead the Washington Capitals to a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Sunday night.
Brett Connolly also scored for Washington, Jay beagle had two assists, and Braden Holtby stopped 21 shots.
Mikael Backlund scored his first of the season for Calgary, and Brian Elliott had 26 saves while ending a three-game win streak.
Connolly opened the scoring 2:01 into the game and Johansson redirected Alex Ovechkin’s snap pass on the power play at 7:14 to double the lead and give the Capitals two goals on their first four shots.
Backlund pulled the Flames within one with 6:16 remaining in the first as he whipped a shot inside the far post from near the boards.
Neither team scored again until Johansson, who had three points in a win at Vancouver on Saturday night, added an empty-netter with 25 seconds left to give him five goals and a team-leading nine points.
Backlund had one of Calgary’s best chances to tie it in the third when the puck squirted out to him in front, but he he didn’t get a good shot away and Holtby was able to smother it.
Both goalies made some stellar saves in the second period. First, it was Holtby kicking out a pad to deny Micheal Ferland from 15 feet out.
Elliott, was especially sharp during a power play. First he scrambled across to thwart Ovechkin at the side of the net. Shortly after, he threw up his glove to stab John Carlson’s blast from the blue line.
Another big glove stop for Elliott came in the first. Keeping the Flames within two goals, he snagged a hard shot from Nate Schmidt.
Backlund socred just 11 seconds later.
NOTES: The Capitals have outscored teams 11-4 in the first period this season. They’ve also scored first in seven of their eight games. ... The Flames play 11 of their next 15 games on the road. ... Ferland and Sam Bennett each had his four-game point streak snapped.
UP NEXT
Capitals: At Winnipeg on Tuesday night to completeb a four-game road trip.
Flames: At Chicago on Tuesday night in the opener of a four-game trip.