Alex Ovechkin nets the game-winner for Washington.
By Harvey Valentine / NHL.com Correspondent
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin extended his point streak to an NHL career-high 14 games with his 29th goal of the season and decided the shootout for the Washington Capitals in a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Capital One Arena on Saturday.
Ovechkin, who was trying to become the first NHL player with a hat trick in three straight games, has scored at least one goal in six straight.
Washington (20-9-3) has won five in a row.
Jack Eichel scored twice for Buffalo (19-9-5), which had won two straight. Carter Hutton made 35 saves.
Brett Connolly and Jakub Vrana scored for the Capitals, who have won 12 of 14, including two straight by shootout. Pheonix Copley made 25 saves.
The Sabres took a 1-0 lead at 2:41 of the first period when Eichel scored on a rebound just after a Buffalo power play ended.
Washington tied it 1-1 at 3:39. Hutton misplayed a puck behind his net, and Devante Smith-Pelly passed in front to Connolly for the tip in.
Vrana gave Washington a 2-1 lead on a one-timer from the high slot at 9:41.
The Sabres took a 3-2 lead with second-period power-play goals by Eichel at 2:25 and Rasmus Dahlin at 7:21.
Ovechkin tied it 3-3 at 13:26 with a shot from the top of the right circle. He has 23 points (17 goals, six assists) during his streak. His other 13 game streak was from Jan. 1-Feb. 1, 2007 (eight goals, 12 assists).
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored for Washington in the shootout; Casey Mittelstadt scored for Buffalo.
*NOTES — The Sabres on Saturday recalled defenseman Matt Hunwick from his conditioning loan with the Rochester Americans. Hunwick (33, 5-foot-11, 194 lbs.) has missed the first 32 games of the NHL season due to injury. He returns to the team after making his season debut during a conditioning loan with the Americans, during which he recorded an assist and a plus-2 rating. The Warren, MI., native has appeared in 521 regular-season NHL games during 11 seasons spent with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins. He was acquired by the Sabres from the Penguins in June 2018.