Capitals beat Panthers despite Wilson ejection

Washington faced a critical test on Saturday when Tom Wilson was ejected for a hit on Sandis Valmanis. The Capitals had already fallen behind 2-1 at the time of the penalty. Brady Tkachuk had scored two goals for Florida in the first period, with the second coming on a power play following Wilson's departure. The hit left Valmanis out of the game after he collided with the boards and glass.

Washington turned the tide during the second period. Alex Tuch scored his 11th goal of the season to tie the game. Shortly after, the Capitals took the lead through a coordinated play. Ryan Leonard won a battle behind the net and passed to Pierre-Luc Dubois in the left circle. Dubois then tipped the puck to Aliaksei Protas at the right doorstep for an easy finish into an open net.

Jack St. Ivany had opened the scoring for Washington in the first period, marking his first career goal for the team. Dubois added another goal in the third period to extend the lead. The Panthers kept the game close until the final minute. Sam Bennett scored with 46.6 seconds remaining to pull Florida within one goal.

The loss leaves the Panthers in a difficult spot. They dropped their second straight game in regulation. Tkachuk's two goals were not enough to overcome the early deficit created by the penalty kill struggles. The Capitals improved their standing with the victory, relying on their second-period surge to control the pace of the game.

In other action, Nashville defeated St. Louis 3-1. Steven Stamkos contributed a goal and an assist. Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots for the Predators. The Blues had lost their previous three games. Jimmy Snuggerud scored the first goal of that game on a power play.

New York's Rangers beat Seattle 4-3 to win their third consecutive game. Gabe Perreault, Tye Kartye, and Jaroslav Chmelar all scored in the first period. Joonas Korpisalo made 25 saves in his debut for the Rangers. He had been on injured reserve due to a foot infection since being acquired from Boston in July.

Montreal defeated Toronto 4-2. Alex Newhook scored twice in the first period. Jacob Fowler made 26 saves for the Canadiens. The team has won seven of its last eight games. Toronto lost its second straight, with William Nylander and Gavin McKenna finding the back of the net.

Carolina crushed Chicago 9-2. Jordan Martinook scored two of the four goals in the first period. The nine goals tied the franchise record since the team relocated from Hartford in 1997. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 18 shots in his first game since his winning streak ended in Nashville.

New Jersey beat New York 5-4 in overtime. Jack Hughes scored the winner with 3:42 left in the extra period. The Devils erased a two-goal deficit in the third period. The win extends their streak to four games. Ilya Sorokin stopped 45 shots for the Islanders, who lost for the third time in a row.

Edmonton defeated Vancouver 4-2. Leon Draisaitl had two goals and an assist. Connor McDavid added three assists, extending his opening streak to 18 games. The Oilers snapped a two-game losing slide. Vancouver has lost five straight and sits at 3-15-1 on the season.