By Canadian Press

Vrana gets 1st career hat trick, Caps beat Flames 4-2

Nov 3, 2019 | 7:27 PM

WASHINGTON — Jakub Vrana got his first career hat trick and the Washington Capitals beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 Sunday night.

Lars Eller added a power-play goal, and Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson each had two assists for the Capitals, who have won eight of nine and lead the NHL with 25 points. Ilya Samsonov stoped 25 shots.

Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane scored for Calgary, and Cam Talbot finished with 28 saves. The Flames finished 2-2-0 on a four-game road trip.

The night began with the Capitals honouring the Washingon Nationals for their baseball championship. Several Nationals players, including outfielder Adam Eaton were on the ice with their World Series trophy.

Vrana followed up his first multi-goal game of the season Friday by scoring twice in the first period and once in the second. He now has nine goals through 16 games, with the 23-year-old Czech well on pace to exceed his previous high of 24 from last season.

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The Flames earned only two power plays while extending their streak without a goal on the man advantage to a season-high four games.

After Mangiapane opened the scoring, Vrana got his first goal when Wilson found Kuznetsov down the right. Kuznetsov sent a cross-ice pass to Vrana, who beat two Flames defenders down the ice and Talbot to his stick side.

Vrana gave Washington its first lead with 4:52 left in the first when he was first to the puck in the offensive zone after Kuznetsov had it poked away and beat Talbot with a wrister to the top left corner.

Lindholm got his 10th of the season to tie the score with 1.6 seconds remaining before the first intermission, but Vrana gave Washington the lead for good with 4:55 left in the second.

This time Kuznetsov found him from Washington’s own zone for a breakaway, and while Talbot made a pad save on Vrana’s first effort, he couldn’t keep out the rebound.

NOTES: A day after their celebratory parade, the Nationals were welcomed on the ice during player introductions while decked in white Capitals jerseys. Later, Eaton and pitcher Max Scherzer were among several players who took a shirtless Zamboni ride during the second intermission. … Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin became the first member of the 2004 NHL draft class to play in his 1,100th career game . Lindholm now has a seven-game point streak, which began in last month’s 5-3 loss to Washington. … Flames LW Milan Lucic served the first of his two-game suspension for a roughing incident in Saturday’s win over Columbus. … Vrana’s consecutive multi-goal games are the first of his career.

UP NEXT

Flames: Host Arizona on Tuesday night.

Capitals: At Florida on Thursday night.

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More AP NHL: www.apnews.com/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

Ian Quillen, The Associated Press