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NHL Game Summary - Detroit at Washington

Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Justin Abdelkader scored twice and Pavel Datsyuk once in the third period, as Detroit overcame a one-goal deficit and topped Washington, 4-2, at Verizon Center.

Gustav Nyquist also lit the lamp and Henrik Zetterberg posted two assists for the Red Wings, who have won four of their last six.

Jimmy Howard stopped 25-of-27 shots for the win, improving to 4-1-2 on the season.

"We showed some good character there falling behind in the second period and then coming out and playing extremely well in the third," said Howard. "They're world class players and they work well together; they've done it for years. It's nice to see them team up here tonight for a couple [goals]."

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Troy Brouwer provided offense for the Capitals, who have dropped two in a row and three of four. Braden Holtby surrendered all four scores on just 22 shots.

Abdelkader beat Holtby just after the four-minute mark of the third by stripping Andre Burakovsky between the circles and scoring from the slot, then gave Detroit a 3-2 lead just after the midway point when he took a Datsyuk drop pass and hammered a shot from the left circle.

Datsyuk then provided insurance at the tail end of a brief power play, ripping a shot through a screen from the outer edge of the right circle inside of a minute left.

The Caps, who pulled Holtby thereafter, had a goal inside of one second remaining wiped out when Brouwer was ruled to have made contact with Howard.

"I thought we were good up until midway through the second period, maybe even to the end of the second period, but then we started taking a few chances," noted Brouwer. "Couple of needless turnovers. They're really good with picking pucks."

Nyquist snapped a scoreless tie at 8:56 of the second period. Abdelkader controlled a failed Caps clear in the offensive zone and dished ahead to the Swedish winger, who outwaited Holtby and pumped his own rebound home.

Kuznetsov evened things during a Capitals power play, off a sick lead pass from Joel Ward, beating Howard on the forehand from in front at 13:19.

Washington led 2-1 with 58 seconds before intermission as John Carlson slipped a pass from the right wing to the left and Brouwer whipped a shot home from the circle.

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