T.J. Oshie's hat trick sends Capitals past Blues

T.J. Oshie scored his sixth career hat trick to lead the Washington Capitals past the visiting St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Thursday.

The Capitals came into the game with the NHL's 30th-ranked power play (13.3 percent), but they converted 2 of 4 man-advantage opportunities against the Blues. St. Louis failed on all five of its power plays.

Dylan Strome had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who won for the fourth time in six games. Nicolas Aube-Kubel also scored for Washington, John Carlson and Max Pacioretty had two assists, and Charlie Lindgren made 17 saves.

Nathan Walker scored twice for the Blues, who are 1-3-1 in their past five games. St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington stopped 21 shots.

Washington capitalized on a neutral-zone turnover by the Blues to take a 1-0 lead on a power play midway through the first period. Oshie took a pass from Pacioretty, broke in on left wing, cut to the middle on his forehand and beat Binnington from the slot.

The Blues tied the game 1-1 with 2:06 left in the opening period. Colton Parayko circled the net and rotated the puck back to Nick Leddy at the left point. Leddy fired a long snap shot that Walker deflected off the skate of Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear.

The Capitals moved ahead 2-1 at the 3:32 mark of the second period. Aube-Kubel fired a cross-ice pass that caromed off Faulk into the net.

Oshie scored his second power-play goal to make it 3-1 midway through the second period. Strome set up Oshie with a centering pass to the slot from behind the net.

Washington pushed its lead to 4-1 just after a power play expired 34 seconds into the third period. Alexander Ovechkin hammered a shot from the left circle, and Strome converted the rebound.

Walker cut the deficit to 4-2 at 4:01 of the third, tipping in a Justin Faulk slap shot from the right point through heavy traffic.

Oshie iced the game when he scored an empty-net goal with 20 seconds left.

—Field Level Media