Photo: John McCreary/Getty Images

The Washington Capitals' third-period collapse on Tuesday night in Sunrise, Florida continued to haunt them on Thursday night when they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-3 in a shootout at Capital One Arena. The point lifted the Capitals three points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes, who have two games in hand on the Capitals, for first place in the Metropolitan Division and one point behind the Florida Panthers (one game in hand) and Toronto Maple Leafs (has played one more game than the Capitals) for first in the NHL. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves in the loss, his first start in five games.

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