Ovechkin gets game-winner to lift Capitals over Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) The Washington Capitals are off to a fast start.

Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period Thursday night to lift the Capitals over the Florida Panthers 4-2.

Ovechkin put the Capitals ahead 3-2 with 12:27 left in the third. His one-timer from the point got past Roberto Luongo, who was screened on the play.

The Capitals have earned at least a point in each of their four games.

''At the start of the season, it's almost always important to take points,'' Ovechkin said. ''We didn't lose the game and it's a good sign. We just have to continue to collect the points and move forward.''

Marcus Johansson, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams scored for the Capitals. Matt Niskanen recorded two assists and Braden Holtby made 26 saves.

''In the third, (we) responded really well and I thought in the third period they (Panthers) really didn't have much,'' Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. ''They had one or two chances, but not much. We had the majority of them.''

Jaromir Jagr became the third player to score 750 goals. He is in third place all-time in the NHL, behind only Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801). Michael Matheson also scored for the Panthers. Jagr's goal was his first in 10 games, including one last season, six playoff games last season, and three this season.

''It's always good to get the first one. A good play, a good pass, I was wide open in the slot,'' Jagr said. ''I had a lot of chances in the games before but I couldn't put the puck in. I'm glad I did tonight.''

Luongo made 25 stops for the Panthers, who lost their second straight.

The Capitals surged in the third period with two goals on 13 shots. Johannson stretched the lead to 4-2 with an unassisted goal with 1:20 left.

''In the third we sat back a little bit or they pushed back a little bit.'' Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. ''They took the chances to us. That third goal was sort of lucky, a bouncing puck from the blue line and changed direction. Tough to lose like that.''

Jagr's power-play goal tied the game at 2 with 5:50 left in the second. Jagr took a pass in the slot from Aleksander Barkov from behind the goal line and beat Holtby. The power-play goal was the first in 11 opportunities for the Panthers this season.

The Panthers had an apparent power-play goal at 7:47 of the second waved off. Colton Sceviour swept in a loose puck sitting to the left of the crease but an early whistle killed the play.

''He (referee) said he wasn't in position and thought the puck was covered. He made a mistake,'' Gallant said.

Trailing 2-0, the Panthers closed to 2-1 on Matheson's shot from the sideboards that snuck past Holtby on the stick side with 6:13 left in the first. The goal was Matheson's second in two games.

The Capitals scored two goals less than two minutes apart in the first period. Williams took a pass from Nate Schmidt in front and poked in the puck on his second try to make it 1-0 at 8:25. The goal was Williams 250th in the NHL.

Washington stretched its lead to 2-0 when Kuznetsov deflected a shot from the point under Luongo's glove at 10:21.

Notes: Barkov has two goals and three assists in four games. ... Keith Yandle, signed as a free agent in June, recorded his first point as a Panther with an assist on Matheson's goal. ... Washington's Daniel Winnik was hit in the face with a puck after falling on the ice midway through the third period. ''Our trainers looked at him; he was just fine,'' Trotz said. ''He's missing a piece of his ear. He got chewed up a little bit. It's just a small piece.''

UP NEXT

Capitals: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday

Panthers: Host Colorado on Saturday