The Chicago Blackhawks have tied up the score against the Washington Capitals after two periods of play at the Verizon Center. Tomas Kopecky banged home his 13th goal of the season unassisted, and the Capitals were unable to retake the lead by the end of the period.
Kopecky got his goal on a defensive breakdown by the Capitals just 3:09 into the third quarter, lacing a shot past Braden Holtby to tie the score. Both teams had their chances to take the lead, but neither capitalized on any opportunities. The Capitals have 24 shots, while the Blackhawks have 21 in an evenly-played game.
The period ended with Jason Chimera and Brent Seabrook dropping the gloves and fighting each other. Both received five-minute majors for the infraction.
This should absolutely be an excellent finish, just like many of the Capitals' previous games. A win would be the Capitals' eighth straight, and would pull them to within one point of first-place Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference.