Caps slip past Rangers in OT

Nhl

With Alex Ovechkin on one side and Jaromir Jagr on the other, no one expected Mike Green and Joe Motzko to steal the show.

Green scored 3:41 into overtime after posting two assists in regulation, Motzko had his first two goals of the season, and the host Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers, 5-4, last night.

The winning goal was scored after New York's Brendan Shanahan stumbled and fell to the ice in the Capitals zone, allowing Brooks Laich to steal the puck and head the other way on an odd-man rush. Laich passed to Green, and the defenseman put the puck past goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Martin Straka scored twice for New York.

Ovechkin scored his 22nd goal, and Capitals enforcer Donald Brashear added his first two assists this season.

Off the ice

Penguins -- Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, unbeaten in the past three weeks, has a sprained ankle that will keep him out for up to two months. Forward Maxime Talbot has a similar injury and might be out a month. Losing Fleury and Talbot for an extended stretch is a major setback for the Penguins, who made the playoffs for the first time in six years last season but have hovered around .500 this season.