NHL Game Summary - Washington at Colorado

Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Alex Ovechkin scored late in the third period to lift the Washington Capitals over the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2, on Thursday.

Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin each had one goal and an assist for the Capitals, who have won two in a row. Jason Chimera also lit the lamp.

Braden Holtby stopped 27-of-29 shots in the win.

Daniel Briere and Tyson Barrie scored for the Avalanche, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Reto Berra made 20 saves.

"I thought we were outstanding defensively," said Colorado coach Patrick Roy. "It's a tough situation losing a game where you think you played a good game, but sometimes those things happen."

Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal with 5:56 remaining in the third. He received a pass from Brooks Orpik and made his way around Avalanche defenseman Jan Hejda. Ovechkin fired the puck wide but took the carom off the end boards and scored from the side of the net.

"It was a lucky bounce," said Ovechkin. "Obviously when I [made] a move I didn't see the goalie was a little bit up so I would probably keep skating and put it in the empty net, but luck was on my side and I was able to put it in."

Earlier, Backstrom took a cross-ice pass from Ovechkin and scored from the right circle to open the scoring at 1:04 of the middle stanza.

The Avalanche tied the game on Briere's goal at 2:53. Nathan MacKinnon's shot from in close resulted in a rebound for Briere, who put the puck past Holtby.

The Capitals took a 2-1 lead on Chimera's goal at 12:10. He beat Berra with a shot from the left circle.

Colorado tied things up at 6:44 of the third. Gabriel Landeskog carried the puck to the left circle before passing to Barrie, who tipped the puck past Holtby.