Connor McMichael scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and the Washington Capitals defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Friday night, notching their franchise-record eighth consecutive road victory.
Nic Dowd added a goal and an assist and Aliaksei Protas (empty net) also scored for Washington, which has won five of its last six (5-0-1). Charlie Lindgren stopped 20 shots in the opener of a three-game road trip.
John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs, who had a three-game winning streak end in the finale of a three-game homestand. Anthony Stolarz made 23 saves.
Each team took two minor penalties in a scoreless first period.
Dowd deflected Matt Roy’s shot from the right point for his eighth goal of the season at 1:06 of the second period. Dowd has scored in two consecutive games.
Less three minutes later, Toronto’s William Nylander failed to score on a breakaway when his backhand shot was wide.
Tavares did not miss on a breakaway at 11:31 of the second, however, scoring his 12th goal of the season on a backhand. Chris Tanev sprung Tavares with a long stretch pass.
Toronto nearly went ahead when Auston Matthews hit the crossbar with a 44-foot wrist shot at 12:47 of the second.
Washington went on a power play at 3:19 of the third but did not have a shot on goal.
McMichael scored his 15th goal of the season on the rebound of Pierre-Luc Dubois’ shot. The puck bounced toward the goal after it hit an official behind the net on an attempted pass by Matthews.
Lindgren was called upon to make a couple of big saves at 18:36 and 18:46 as Toronto applied pressure with Stolarz removed for an extra attacker.
Protas scored his ninth goal of the season into an empty net with 57 seconds left in regulation.
The Maple Leafs defeated the host Capitals 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 13 in the first meeting this season.
Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe (upper-body injury) missed a third consecutive game.
–Field Level Media
