Takeaways: Capitals Escape With Big Win Over Senators

In a quick stop off north to take on the Ottawa Senators, the Washington Capitals dominated but also played with fire at times while the city was in the throes of a snowstorm. Still, they got more heroics — and it was enough for two points.

Marcus Johansson got the overtime winner, and Evgeny Kuznetsov and Sonny Milano also scored to escape Canadian Tire Centre with a 3-2 overtime win.

Here are all the takeaways from the victory, which marks D.C.'s eighth win in ninth games.

Washington Capitals Dominate For First 40, Johansson, TVR, Kuemper Play Hero After Game Tilts In Third

Washington had been playing a full 60 minutes consistently over this latest hot stretch, and after dominating and tightening up in the first 40 by outshooting Ottawa 27-12 after the first two periods, they stepped off the gas and played with fire in the third.

It started with Milano taking a double minor on a high-sticking call just minutes into the frame, which led to a power-play goal for Drake Batherson to tie it. Kuznetsov and Nicolas Aube-Kubel then took two more calls, giving the Senators' power play even more time to work with.

The PPs marked a bit of a turning point, as Ottawa started to get some great chances and stop the Capitals from dominating too much in their end.

Thankfully, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Darcy Kuemper stepped up big time. TVR came up some huge blocks after having taken a slapshot to the head earlier in the night. He stopped a puck trickling past the goal line and ended up with a team-leading six blocks (tying single-game high this season). Kuemper also stood tall in his first start since Dec. 3 after missing seven games (he dressed against Detroit) with an upper-body injury), stopping 23 of 25 shots (.920 save percentage).

It would be enough to force overtime, where Marcus Johansson played hero and secured the win with a great goal in the 3-on-3.

Since the Capitals got a point out of the game and the New York Islanders lost in regulation, they are back in playoff position and in the second Wild Card spot.

Alex Ovechkin All Over The Place, But Remains At 800

While Alex Ovechkin didn't get 801, he did make some NHL history again, he was all over the place and helped ignite the offense in different ways.

Ovechkin picked up two helpers and was all over the offensive zone, making great plays and passes to his teammates and getting some grade-A opportunities in the paint. He was the catalyst on Thursday against a red-hot Cam Talbot, and he became the NHL's all-time shots leader with six shots on goal.

Going into last Thursday's tilt against the Dallas Stars, the Capitals went seven straight games with a power play goal before going silent for the last three games. Ovechkin helped re-ignite the spark, finding a wide-open Kuznetsov for his fifth of the season. Kuznetsov has 10 points in his last 10 games, and four of his five goals this season have come on the man advantage.

Later in the second, an Ovechkin one-timer would squeak through Talbot, and Milano cleaned up in front to make it a 2-1 game.

The 37-year-old now has points in seven of his last eight games and was again double-shifted in the third as he got some great chances and looks with the likes of Kuznetsov and Johansson and even Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway. However, he is still hunting for that milestone tally.

Additional Washington Capitals Ice Chips

– Dowd and Conor Sheary added some firepower behind Ovechkin, as Dowd had five shots and Sheary had four. Dowd is coming off a three-point performance on Monday, and Sheary has eight points in his last 11 games.

– John Carlson played forward on the man advantage, subbing in for T.J. Oshie in the bumper spot. He also picked up his 13th assist of the season.

– Milano now has 15 points in 22 games with Washington this season. That'd put him on pace for 56 points in a full 82-game campaign.

– Erik Gustafsson got an assist on Johansson's OT winner, and he's on a three-game point streak. He has six games over that span.

– Dmitry Orlov picked up a helper and now has points in four of six games since returning to action from a lower-body injury.

– Kuznetsov picked up an assist on the OT winner and now has a team-leading 22 helpers.