Tuch scores twice, Sabres edge Capitals in shootout to end 3-game skid

BUFFALO -- Alex Tuch scored twice for the Buffalo Sabres in a 4-3 shootout win against the Washington Capitals at KeyBank Center on Monday.

JJ Peterka, who had two assists, scored the deciding goal in the shootout.

“I think especially in the third we got a lot of chances, too, and just maybe overpassing a little bit,” Peterka said. “… Obviously when you don’t score you can only get scored on always, so I think just fighting back and having a good overtime and a [heck] of a shootout move from [Tuch] to keep us alive and also [Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen] doing good out there.”

Aliaksei Protas tied it 3-3 at 15:47 of the third period for Washington, tapping in a pass from John Carlson at the front of the net.

Carlson reached 700 NHL career points with the assist, becoming the seventh U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history to reach the mark.

“It’s a big accomplishment, I think, personally,” Carlson said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play on a great team my whole career, and with fantastic players. Couldn’t have dreamt of it as a kid, so it’s pretty special.”

Tage Thompson also scored for the Sabres (15-21-5), who had lost three straight following a three-game winning streak. Luukkonen made 25 saves.

“I think the work ethic that our group has shown in the past two or three weeks has been a lot better,” Tuch said. “I think the commitment to playing the right way, to better D-zone, to blocking shots, to sacrificing for one another, I think has been a lot better. It hasn’t been perfect by any means. It needs to be better, continue to get better. We’ll use this as a steppingstone.”

Tom Wilson scored twice to extend his goal streak to three games, and Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves for the Capitals (26-10-4), who extended their point streak to four games (2-0-2).

“The resiliency to battle back when we weren't very good at all, to not fold the tent and to fight back in that game, to get it to overtime is a positive that we'll draw from,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said.

Tuch gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 4:42 of the first period, deflecting Peterka’s wrist shot from the right face-off circle on the rush.

Wilson tied it 1-1 on the power play at 6:10 with a one-timer from the high slot off a pass from Jakob Chychrun.

With the teams playing 4-on-4, Tuch gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead at 1:07 of the second period after stealing the puck from Chychrun at the left point in the Buffalo end and breaking in to beat Lindgren glove side.

“I think tonight I was a little bit more direct,” Tuch said. “I was causing some turnovers, I was on top of their guys, not giving them any breathing room and that’s when I’m at my best.

“In the past I think I’ve been maybe too focused on one thing or another and not just focused on going out and playing and feeling and playing the game that I know I can play.”

Wilson tied it 2-2 at 11:29 with his second goal of the game, sweeping in a rebound at the front of the net by Luukkonen’s right pad. He has four goals during his streak.

“At the end of the day we found a way late to get it tied up, give ourselves a chance in overtime and shootout, obviously, but I think we started a little bit late,” Wilson said. “I mean, the third period, we started to tilt the ice, play better. We’ve just got to … try and take advantage of the full 60, not just kind of the third period, when we're down one.”

Thompson’s power-play goal put Buffalo back ahead 3-2 at 12:49 when his one-timer from the left circle went in under Lindgren’s left arm.

Thompson’s shot hit 103.7 miles per hour for the fastest goal in the NHL this season, surpassing New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock, who scored with a shot that was 101.34 mph in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 15.

“I thought we did a good job responding all game just to all the little pushes they had,” Thompson said. “They’re a good team, so they had shifts where they were in our zone and got good looks, and I don’t think we let it affect us, and went right back to playing our game and kept it simple and direct and got rewarded for it tonight.”

NOTES: Protas’ goal was his 17th even-strength goal of the season, fourth most among all players behind Leon Draisaitl (22), Kirill Kaprizov (20) and Mark Scheifele (19). … Sabres forward Jiri Kulich left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said he would be reevaluated on Tuesday. … Peterka played in his 200th NHL game, and Sabres forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel played in his 300th.