{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Hockey League
Washington 3, Los Angeles 1
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Referees: Jean Hebert, Graham Skilliter
Linesmen: Ryan Daisy, Bevan Mills
Attendance: 16102

John Carlson scored two goals, and Ilya Samsonov made 22 saves to lead the visiting Washington Capitals to their fifth straight victory, 3-1 over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.

Tom Wilson also scored an empty-net goal for Washington, which improved to an NHL-best 13-2-1 on the road. The Metropolitan Division-leading Capitals now have 47 points after 30 games, a franchise record.

Carlson has 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) on the season. He joins Calgary's Al MacInnis (1990-91, 11 goals, 31 assists) as the only defensemen since 1979-80 to record 42 points in their first 30 games of a season.

Blake Lizotte scored for the Kings. Jonathan Quick had 19 saves for Los Angeles, which lost for just the third time in its past 10 home games (7-2-1).

Carlson, coming off his sixth three-point game of the season and having scored the game-winning goal on Tuesday night in a 5-2 victory at San Jose, scored two goals in the first 13:27 on Wednesday to stake Washington to an early 2-0 lead.

Carlson's first goal came when drove in on the right wing and snapped a wrist shot from above the right circle that clanged in off the far post at 4:36. It was his 100th career tally.

Less than nine minutes later, he scored No. 101 when he took a cross-ice pass from T.J. Oshie while cutting in from the bottom of the right circle, deked Quick down to the ice and then wrapped the puck around the right post from behind the goal line. It marked the 13th multi-point game of the season for Carlson.

Lizotte cut it to 2-1 at the 3:20 mark of the third period. He picked up a puck behind the net that Samsonov had mishandled and then tucked it inside the right post for his third goal of the season.

Los Angeles nearly tied it with 6:25 to go when Anze Kopitar rifled a shot from the high slot that caromed off the crossbar.

The Kings pulled Quick for with 2:04 left, and the Capitals sealed the win when Wilson scooped up a rebound of an Alex Iafallo shot in front of the net and then fired it down the ice with 1:19 to go. It was Wilson's 11th goal of the season.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Washington   Los Angeles
John Carlson 2 Points Blake Lizotte 1
John Carlson 2 Goals Blake Lizotte 1
Lars Eller 1 Assists Blake Lizotte 0
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Ilya Samsonov .957 Save Percentage Jonathan Quick .905
Ilya Samsonov 22 Saves Jonathan Quick 19
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Washington 22 3 0-2 3-3 6 34
Los Angeles 23 1 0-3 2-2 4 30
Upcoming Games
  • Los Angeles will play their next game on the road against Edmonton. The Kings have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .471 after a loss.
  • Washington will play their next game on the road against Anaheim. The Capitals have a W/L % of .714 after a win and .667 after a loss.