Former Warroad High star T.J. Oshie watched the clock in the training room hoping he would get back on the ice.
Oshie was back there for a second time Wednesday night after he took a shoulder to the head from Evgeni Malkin that made an earlier stick to the face seem like an afterthought.
With Malkin ejected for the illegal check to the head, Oshie returned to score late and lift the host Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. It was Pittsburgh's fifth straight loss.
"My face is a little messed up, but I'm feeling pretty good now," Oshie said. "He caught me there, and it is what it is. I passed my concussion test, went out and won the game."
After Oshie took Olli Maatta's stick to the face in the opening minutes, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin traded power-play goals in a vintage showcase of their career-long rivalry.
Braden Holtby stopped 41 of the 42 shots he faced for his first win since Oct. 22. He received some help from the post on almost a half-dozen occasions, but Holtby also turned in his best performance of the season.
Anaheim 3, Calgary 2: Ryan Getzlaf scored 27 seconds after Calgary got a tying goal in the third period as the Ducks beat the Flames at home.
Nashville 4, Colorado 1: Colton Sissions had a hat trick and Ryan Hartman added an empty-netter as the Predators beat the Avalanche in Denver.
