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The Buzzer: Kuznetsov, Kempny lead improbable comeback for Capitals

Washington Capitals v Vancouver Canucks

VANCOUVER, BC - OCTOBER 25: Michal Kempny #6 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena October 25, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

Three Stars

1. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Michal Kempny, Washington Capitals. With 10 seconds to play in the second period on Friday night the Washington Capitals trailed the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. They did not get a single point all night from Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, or John Carlson. And they still won, 6-5. They won thanks to a pair of two-goal efforts from forward Evgeny Kuznetsov and defender Michal Kempny to erase that four-goal deficit and send the game to overtime. Kuznetsov’s second goal came just before the buzzer in the second period to bring the Capitals to within three, setting the stage for their huge third period comeback that featured both goals from Kempny. Because of that they get to share first star honors for the night.

2. Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres have only lost two games all season and they followed up both of them with a shutout win. On Friday it was Ullmark stealing the show as he stopped all 41 shots he faced in a 2-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings, handing them their seventh consecutive defeat. It is Ullmark’s first shutout of the season and already the third for the Sabres as a team (Carter Hutton already has two shutouts). You can read more about the Sabres’ win here.

3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes continued their strong start with an impressive come-from-behind win on the road in New Jersey, erasing an early 2-0 deficit. There were a lot of stars for the Coyotes in this one, but their best player was probably star defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson with his second goal of the season, an assist, and some spectacular defensive plays to help secure the win. The Coyotes are now 6-3-1 through their first 10 games.

Other notable performances from Friday


  • Nick Leddy had a huge night for the Islanders, scoring two goals -- including one on a penalty shot -- to lead the Islanders to their sixth win in a row, so far the longest winning streak in the NHL this season. He thought he had a hat trick for a while until his third goal was taken away on a scoring chances and awarded to forward Matt Martin. Read all about the game here.
  • The Devils wasted a great performance from No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes. Hughes had three points (one goal, two assists) in what would become yet another blown multi-goal lead for a team that has already had entirely too many of them this season.
  • Nathan MacKinnon extended his points streak to 10 games as the Colorado Avalanche crushed the Vegas Golden Knights. Read more about the game here.
  • Patrick Marleau received a nice welcome back in Toronto on Friday night, but once the game began it was all Maple Leafs as they picked up a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.

Highlights of the Night

Coyotes forward Michael Grabner is FAST and it helps him create a ton of chances on the penalty kill. Here he is scoring yet another shorthanded goal.

The first of what will probably be many goals for Avalanche defender Cale Makar.

They may have let a four-goal lead slip away, but the Canucks made a lot of highlights on Friday night. This is one of the better ones as Tim Schaller scores by batting the puck out of mid-air.

Blooper of the Night

Do not anger New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss!

Factoids


  • The Capitals’ win on Friday was the fifth time in franchise history they have won a game after trailing by four goals. It is the first time they have done it since the 2008 season. [NHL PR]
  • Nick Leddy’s penalty shot goal on Friday was the first time an Islanders defender has ever scored on a penalty shot in franchise history. [NHL PR]
  • Grabner’s shorthanded goal for the Coyotes was the 22nd of his career, the second-most among active players. He trails only Brad Marchand (26 goals) of the Boston Bruins. [NHL PR]

Scores

Colorado Avalanche 6, Vegas Golden Knights 1
Toronto Maple Leafs 4, San Jose Sharks 1
Arizona Coyotes 5, New Jersey Devils 3
New York Islanders 4, Ottawa Senators 2
Buffalo Sabres 2, Detroit Red Wings 0
Washington Capitals 6, Vancouver Canucks 5 (SO)

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.