NHL Results - Wed, Oct 22, 2014

Washington @ Edmonton 2-3 - Oilers defenseman Nikita Nikitin scored his first goal of the season, which held up as the game-winner. The goal was Nikitin's first with the Oilers; he signed as a free agent with Edmonton this summer. Justin Schultz and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for the Oilers, who have won two in a row. John Carlson and Mike Green scored for the Capitals, who lost their first game in regulation this season. Scrivens made 13 third-period saves and 32 in total for the win. Braden Holtby made 17 saves for the Capitals. Nikitn's goal was scored at 16:08 of the second period on the power play. The Oilers defenseman stepped into a rolling puck at the blue line, and it found its way through a maze of players past Holtby. The Capitals pushed hard for the tying goal in the third period, but fell short. Ovechkin created a good opportunity early in the period, getting around Schultz and in on Scrivens, who was able to make the save from in tight. Moments later, Capitals center Liam O'Brien forced a good blocker save from the Oilers goaltender. Scrivens was making his fourth consecutive start with Viktor Fasth out because of a groin injury. Schultz opened the scoring at 6:53 of the first period, finding open ice in front of the Capitals net and converting a centering pass from Teddy Purcell. The goal was Schultz's second of the season. Carlson tied the game at 10:15 on the power play. The Capitals defenseman took a pass from Nicklas Backstrom and fired a shot past Scrivens. Green put the Capitals up 2-1, 4:50 into the second period with a rising shot through sprawling right wing Jesse Joensuu and past Scrivens. Washington's lead lasted 20 seconds. Nugent-Hopkins stripped Ovechkin of the puck at the Oilers blue line, raced down the right wing and beat Holtby with a shot off the boards. Ovechkin went into the game with five goals and an assist. It was the second straight game and third of the season he was kept off the score sheet.

Buffalo @ Anaheim 1-4 - Corey Perry ripped a slap shot past Buffalo goalie Michal Neuvirth at 17:17 of the third after captain Ryan Getzlaf outworked a defender to the puck to set it up. Perry completed his second hat trick this season on an empty-net goal at 18:55. The slap shot came from far out, an unorthodox spot for Perry. Andersen was 5:06 away from his second straight shutout when Tyler Ennis pushed a rebound by him to make it 2-1. Andersen had gone 152:06 without allowing a goal, and Perry said the past two games are indicative of a Ducks makeup that is taking shape. Ennis' goal allowed Buffalo to avoid being shutout for the third straight game for the first time in team history. The Sabres' scoreless streak lasted 198 minutes, dating to a goal by Marcus Foligno in the third period of a shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct.14. Andersen again had to be good early for Anaheim. He made a right skate save on Matt Moulson in the crease in the first period and a left skate save on Zemgus Girgensons early in the second. Andersen also skirted danger when Chris Stewart missed on a backhand and two follow-ups midway through the third. Ryan Kesler made it 2-0 at 9:20 of the second period with a wrist shot from the top of the circles that went through traffic and found the right side of the net. Perry finished a great tip pass from Getzlaf when he broke down the right side and snapped a shot that beat Neuvirth on the far blocker side at 8:50 of the first. The opening period was also highlighted by a sustained two-minute-plus shift by Anaheim in Buffalo's zone in which the Ducks changed lines while Sabres defensemen Tyler Myers and Josh Gorges were stuck on the ice. That was the rub for Buffalo, which needed to play a strong possession game to spark their offense but had a tough time against Kesler, among others. The Ducks won 36 of 57 faceoffs, including 12-of-18 by Kesler.