EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Adam Oates gambled in overtime and got a break, literally.

Oates scored on a breakaway with 22.6 seconds left in the five-minute extra period and the Washington Capitals snapped the New Jersey Devils NHL-best nine-game unbeaten streak with a 3-2 win on Friday night.

	New Jersey goalie Chris Terreri reacts to a shot by Washington's Mike Eagles during the first period Friday.

Oates' game-winner was set up when Devils defenseman Sheldon Souray broke his stick while trying to keep the puck in the Capitals' zone, allowing Oates to block his weak pass and break in alone on Devils goaltender Chris Terreri.

Oates had put himself in position to make the play by making a quick move to intercept a pass toward the point by Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer.

"As soon as I saw him go to his backhand, I took off hoping it would bounce," Oates said. "Four on four you gamble a little bit and I just took off."

The puck bounced a little, but Souray had a bigger problem with his stick.

"It came bouncing out to the point and I tried to stay strong on my stick and my stick breaks," Souray said. "It's just bad luck."

That left it to Terreri to save the Devils' nine-game unbeaten (7-0-2).

Oates skated patiently toward him and flipped the puck over his left shoulder for his seventh goal of the season.

"Adam Oates is still a great player," Washington coach Ron Wilson said of the 14-year veteran. "It's nice to see him get a goal. If I have an option for a penalty shot, I'm sending Adam Oates out there."

Steve Konowalchuk and Andrei Nikolishin also scored as the Capitals became the first team to beat New Jersey (7-0-2) since Toronto on Dec. 23. Olaf Kolzig had 27 saves for Washington.

Bobby Holik and Petr Sykora scored for the Devils, while Terreri made 20 saves in making his first start since Dec. 18.

Konowalchuk had tied the game with 7:58 to play with a shot from the right circle just seconds after Terreri stopped Chris Simon right in front. The goal was his ninth, but first since Dec. 15.

"It was nice to steal one," Kolzig said. "We have a real tough stretch over the next couple of weeks. We gave one away last week against Atlanta, but I think we more than made up for it tonight."

Holik and Sykora had given the Devils a 2-1 lead, scoring 4:31 apart to offset a great short-handed goal by Nikolishin earlier in the second period.

Kolzig didn't have a chance to stop Sykora's 14th goal, a chip shot in close, after being knocked down in the crease by Devils center Jason Arnott.

Referee Bill McCreary allowed the goal to stand because Arnott had been pulled down by Washington's Richard Zednik, resulting in a delayed penalty.

Holik had tied the game at 8:19 of the period, beating Kolzig with a shot from the top of the right circle.

Joe Sacco set up Nikolishin's goal blocking a shot by Devils' defenseman Brian Rafalski at the left point. Nikolishin collected the puck in center ice, staked into the Devils' zone, split Ralfalski and Sykora and then fired the puck into an empty net after skating across the crease to draw Terreri out of position.