Tuch Plays Hero as Capitals Rally Past Sabres 4-3 in Overtime

Alex Tuch couldn’t have scripted it much better.

In his first game against his former team, he scored twice, including the overtime winner, to give the Washington Capitals a wild 4-3 comeback win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Dylan Strome also scored twice for Washington, helping the Caps dig themselves out of an early 2-0 hole. It wasn’t always pretty, especially defensively, but they found a way to get the job done.

And with Tuch finishing things off in overtime, the night had a pretty fitting ending.

Washington came out looking lackadaisical, and Buffalo wasted little time punching them in the mouth. 

At 6:27 of the first period, Jack Quinn found a lane straight to the net and made the Caps pay. Washington’s man-to-man coverage was a mess on the play, giving Quinn far too much room to work with. He made no mistake, putting Buffalo up 1-0.

The Caps had a chance to respond when Pierre-Luc Dubois drove hard to the middle and created a rebound opportunity, but they couldn’t finish.

Then came another defensive collapse.

At 10:36, Jakob Chychrun took the puck behind his own net and somehow turned it over. Ryan McLeod found Josh Doan in front, and Doan buried it before Washington could recover.

Just like that, it was 2-0 Sabres. Not exactly the start the Caps had in mind.

Thankfully, Tuch had a message to send to his old friends.

At 16:10, he sent a puck toward the middle that took a deflection off a Buffalo player and bounced into the net. It wasn’t scintillating, but nobody was complaining. 

Washington went into the first intermission trailing 2-1, despite holding an 8-5 edge in shots.

The second period started with a power play for Washington after Mattias Samuelsson was called for slashing Tom Wilson at 0:55.

The power play failed to muster up any momentum, but they found the equalizer shortly after Samuelsson stepped out of the box.

Chychrun fired the puck toward the net, and Strome grabbed the loose puck just outside the crease before backhanding it past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at 2:59 to nod things up.

Washington got another power play when Zellweger was called for delay of game at 14:46. The Caps moved the puck around and created some pressure, with Strome nearly sneaking one through Luukkonen.

Then came a huge moment at the other end.

Zach Benson broke free on a shorthanded breakaway and had a chance to put Buffalo back in front. Lindgren stayed with him and made a terrific save on the backhand.

Not long after, the Caps finally took the lead.

Justin Sourdif made a nice stop-and-start move while forechecking, helping create the opportunity for Strome to score his second of the night at 17:24. Martin Fehérváry picked up the other assist, and Washington was suddenly ahead 3-2 entering the third. 

Washington entered the third period with a 3-2 lead and a perfect 4-0-0 record this season when leading after two periods.

Buffalo clearly had other intentions. 

Tage Thompson nearly tied things up with a rocket that clanged off the crossbar and out. About 30 seconds later, Rasmus Sandin sent a shot toward the net that Tuch deflected off the crossbar as well.

But Buffalo kept coming, and Washington struggled to settle things down. The Sabres were winning battles, creating chances and making the Caps chase them around the defensive zone. That man-to-man coverage that caused problems in the first period was looking pretty inconsistent again.

At 2:20, Buffalo broke the ice. 

Noah Ostlund sent the puck toward the net, and it found its way past Lindgren after a deflection. Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin got the assists, and the game was tied 3-3.

The Caps had let their lead slip away, and there was still plenty of hockey left.

Washington's penalty kill got a workout, too. Wilson went off for tripping Thompson at 4:27, and Tuch nearly made something happen on a shorthanded two-on-two rush. The Caps killed the penalty, only to take another one when Tuch was called for slashing Jason Zucker at 7:26.

They killed that one as well.

Washington eventually found some offensive rhythm, with Ovechkin, Strome and Protas putting together a dominant shift after winning an offensive-zone faceoff.

Ryan Leonard also found himself in the middle of the physical action. Gilbert caught him with a big hit as Leonard cut toward the middle, then delivered another as the Caps battled for the loose puck. Things got heated quickly.

Late in the period, Leonard drew a high-sticking penalty on Konsta Helenius at 13:59, giving Washington a power play and a chance to steal the game in regulation. The Caps couldn't find the winner, though, and the teams headed to overtime tied at three.

Washington finished regulation with a 31-20 advantage in shots, but nonetheless, we went to the extra frame. 

Buffalo started overtime by holding onto the puck and trying to work an opening. The Caps had to be patient, but when their chance came, they made it count.

Strome pulled off some magic behind the net, drawing the defense and finding Tuch wide open in the slot.

Tuch took the pass and beat Luukkonen at 3:42.

Game over.

The Caps won 4-3, and Tuch had his second goal of the night against his former team. Strome picked up another assist, as did Chychrun.

After his first goal took a fortunate bounce, Tuch finished the night with a much cleaner strike — and a much bigger payoff. Scoring once against your old team is fun. Beating them in overtime is salt on the wound. 

Lindgren deserves credit as well. He made key saves throughout the game and you can't forget about Strome's three-point night, to boot. Without them, they lose.

This wasn't a perfect night for Washington. Far from it.

The defensive breakdowns were hard to ignore, especially on Buffalo's first two goals and the third-period equalizer. The Caps gave the Sabres too much room, made some questionable decisions with the puck and spent long stretches chasing the play.

But they didn't fold.

They kept fighting back. That's what championship caliber teams do.