Evgeny Kuznetsov led the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday. The Capitals rallied from a two-goal deficit, with former Flames forward Matthew Phillips and Connor McMichael also contributing goals for Washington. Goalie Darcy Kuemper made 38 saves, including a crucial stop in the shootout. Flames’ Jonathan Huberdeau was denied by Kuemper, while Yegor Sharangovich and Nazem Kadri hit the iron.
Dillon Dube and Adam Ruzicka were the goal-scorers for the Flames, with Noah Hanifin providing two assists. Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves for Calgary. In the shootout, Kuznetsov slowly approached the goal and delivered the winning goal, the only score in the shootout.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 4-0 victory. James Reimer recorded a shutout in his first game for Detroit, making 23 saves. Shayne Gostisbehere, Michael Rasmussen, Dylan Larkin, and Andrew Copp were the goal-scorers for the Red Wings, securing their second consecutive win after an earlier loss to New Jersey. Spencer Martin made 24 saves for the Blue Jackets, who have lost two out of their first three games.
In another game, the Florida Panthers defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-3. Sam Reinhart scored two goals, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 shots to lead the Panthers to victory. Despite the Panthers taking a 4-0 lead, the Devils mounted a late comeback with three unanswered third-period goals. However, Florida managed to hold on for the win. Carter Verhaeghe and Niko Mikkola also found the net for the Panthers. Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves for the Devils, who suffered their second consecutive loss. Erik Haula, Michael McLeod, and Jesper Bratt scored for New Jersey.
The New York Rangers claimed a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Vincent Trocheck scored the game-winning power-play goal in the third period. The Rangers, under new coach Peter Laviolette, improved to 2-1-0 with the win. Chris Kreider scored the first goal for New York, while Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves. Clayton Keller scored the lone goal for Arizona. It was their bid to secure consecutive wins for the first time since the 2015-16 season, but they fell short. Connor Ingram made 26 saves in his season debut.
Lastly, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Corey Perry scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, helping Chicago secure the win. MacKenzie Entwistle, Tyler Johnson, and Taylor Raddysh also contributed goals for the Blackhawks. Andreas Athanasiou provided two assists, and Arvid Soderblom made 34 saves in the victory. John Tavares scored the lone goal for Toronto, who had won their first two games of the season. Joseph Woll stopped 27 shots in the loss.
–Field Level Media
