Capitals Beat Penguins 3-1 in Rain-Drenched NHL Winter Classic

Category: More Sports

Publish Date: 01-01-2011 10:00 PM -0500

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, Winter Classic

PITTSBURGH -- The marquee battle between superstars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin at the NHL Winter Classic was won by ... Eric Fehr. The 25-year-old right wing (middle, above photo) scored the winning and insurance goals in the Washington Capitals' 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field.

A miscue by Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury led to the game-winner at 14:45 of the second period. Fleury tried to play the puck behind his goal, but fumbled it. Capitals forward Marcus Johansson captured the puck and slid it to Fehr, who scored his sixth goal of the season. Fehr scored on a breakaway, off a pass from Jason Chimera, with eight minutes left in regulation to give the Capitals a 3-1 lead.

Originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, the game was pushed back to 8:00 p.m. ET because of rains and warm temperatures. Rain fell on the game during the third period. The teams switched sides with 9:59 left in regulation.

Pittsburgh and Washington traded goals early in the second period to open the scoring. After Fleury stopped Ovechkin on a breakaway with a left skate one minute into the period, Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin was sprung loose with a pass along the boards by Kris Letang and scored on Varlamov. Evidently charged up by the tens of thousands of Penguins fans roaring after the game's first goal, Malkin jumped into the home team bench to celebrate the goal with his teammates.

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