Pro Sports

Carlson scores 2 to help Capitals beat Flames 5-3

Posted October 23, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) scores on Calgary Flames goaltender Cam Talbot during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - Alex Ovechkin is starting an early-season campaign for teammate John Carlson to win this season's Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman.

"Johnny for Norris. That's a hashtag right now," the Capitals captain said after Carlson's two goals helped the Washington Capitals to a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Carlson scored and added an empty-netter for an NHL-leading 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 11 games.

The 29-year-old American is the fourth different defenseman in NHL history to register 20 points or more in October joining Paul Coffey (1981, 1988), Al MacInnis (1988) and Brian Leetch (1990).

"It's a great thing obviously. I don't know what to say," Carlson said.

He has three games remaining this month to better the high of 25 points in 13 games set by MacInnis when he was with Calgary.

Ovechkin had a goal and an assist and Tom Wilson also scored for Washington. Chandler Stephenson got the credit on an own-goal by the Flames. Braden Holtby finished with 32 saves.

"We're a dangerous team when we're doing the right things," Carlson said.

Elias Lindholm, Tobias Rieder and Austin Czarnik scored for the Flames. Cam Talbot stopped 25 shots in his second straight start.

"For good stretches of the game I felt we played well and carried the game, but ultimately it doesn't matter," Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "We still didn't get any points tonight. ... They're a good hockey team, probably the best we've played this year. That was a good measuring-stick team."

Wilson pushed Washington's lead to 4-2 on a feed from Lars Eller to beat Talbot under his left pad with 7:26 left in the third period. Carlson's empty-netter with 1:45 remaining maid it a three-goal game before Rieder capped the scoring with 16 seconds to go.

Ten seconds after Czarnik pulled the Flames even at 2-2 in the second, Ovechkin quieted the Saddledome with a go-ahead goal with 3:25 left in the period.

The Capitals' captain took a backhand pass from Nicklas Backstrom on a 2-on-1 and wired the puck home for his seventh of the season.

Czarnik scored his first by pouncing on a loose puck and sweeping it past Holtby during a goal-mouth scramble for a T.J. Brodie rebound.

Talbot mishandled Carlson's off-speed shot from the boards for Washington's first goal of the game 35 seconds into the second period.

"Pretty lucky," Carlson said. "I've had some good fortune this month."

Stephenson's centering pass from behind Calgary's net deflected off Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and in at 2:41 to make it 2-0.

Lindholm halved the deficit with a power-play goal at 3:19, his team-high sixth goal. The Swede wristed a cross-ice feed from Johnny Gaudreau over Holtby's glove.

Calgary outshot the Caps 15-9 in a scoreless first period.

NOTES: Carlson is five points back of Kevin Hatcher (426) for the third-most points by a Capitals defenseman in franchise history. ... Ovechkin is four goals from passing Luc Robitaille (668) for 12th in all-time NHL scoring. ... Flames forward Sam Bennett was scratched a second straight game with an undisclosed injury.

UP NEXT

Capitals: At Edmonton on Thursday night.

Flames: Host Florida on Thursday night.

___

More AP NHL: www.apnews.com/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby (70) makes a save as Calgary Flames left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) watches during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) and Washington Capitals right wing Garnet Hathaway (21) work along the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby (70) stops the puck as Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund (11) looks for a rebound during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (92) moves the puck up ice as Calgary Flames centre Derek Ryan (10) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Washington Capitals left wing Carl Hagelin (62) moves along the boards as Calgary Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic (24) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Washington Capitals' Michal Kempny, rear, from the Czech Republic, takes a hit from Calgary Flames' Sean Monahan during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Washington Capitals goalie Brayden Holtby makes a save against Calgary Flames' Andrew Mangiapane during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

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