Caps stay alive • Sens up 3-2 on Rangers
Washington tallies three times in 3rd to thwart Crosby, Penguins • Ottawa earns lucky OT triumph
Goals spaced 27 seconds apart in the third period prevented a sight all too familiar to Washington Capitals fans: the handshake line that spelled the end of their team’s playoff hopes as the rival Pittsburgh Penguins advanced.
Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Capitals their first lead at home in this Eastern Conference Semifinal and Alex Ovechkin – Washington’s captain who was demoted to the third line – followed with another goal as the Caps avoided elimination with a 4-2 Game 5 victory at Verizon Center on Saturday night.
This is the 10th time these two teams have faced each other in the playoffs. The Pens had won all but one of those prior meetings. Pittsburgh lost for just the fourth time in the past 12 games when it could clinch a series against the Capitals.
The Pens led 2-1 after the first two periods with both captain Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary – both concussed in Game 3 and sidelined for Game 4 – back in the lineup.
Nicklas Backstrom pulled the Capitals even, 2-2, three minutes into the third period with his third goal of the series, an early indication of arguably Washington’s best period of hockey this postseason.
“We obviously gave them life when that first goal in the third period,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. “We thought we were in control at that point.”
The Capitals put 14 shots on Penguins goalie Marc Andre-Fleury in the third period.
The Pens had taken their second lead of the game with a tic-tac-toe power-play goal hammered into the open net from one knee by Phil Kessel. The goal, Kessel’s fifth of the playoffs and third of the series, came on the power play 4:20 into the second period.
Carl Hagelin scored his first goal of the playoffs to give the Pens the first lead of the game midway through the first period. The Caps tied at 1 as Andre Burakovsky, who took Ovechkin’s slot on the No. 1 line, scored with 30 second left in the first period.
Burakovsky toe-dragged around Matt Cullen atop the left circle, then beat Fleury blocker side.
Was it legal, though? The Penguins seemed to think Washington forward Lars Eller closed his hand on the puck, and Crosby argued to no avail.
In the end, because of what the Capitals did in the third period, it became a non-issue, much like the Penguins would like this game to be come Monday.
(USA Today/TNS)
Senators 5, Rangers 4 (OT)
Kyle Turris scored at 6:28 of overtime to give Ottawa a come-from-behind home victory over New York.
The win gavs the Senators a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series that moves to New York for Game 6 on Tuesday.
Turris’ attempted first shot was blocked by a Rangers defender, but he was able to get control of the loose puck and beat goalie Henrik Lundqvist to end the game, after Ottawa’s Derick Brassard had tied the contest with less than two minutes left in the third period.
“We’ve talked about not sabotaging ourselves and we were on our way to do that again,” Senators coach Guy Boucher said of the early deficit. “We maintained our focus, though, and it paid off.”
New York nearly won the contest two minutes earlier as Michael Grabner knocked a pass from Kevin Hayes out of mid-air at 4:12 of overtime. Officials quickly negated the tally on the basis of a high stick.
Jimmy Vesey, Jesper Fast, Nick Holden and Ryan McDonagh had the Rangers’ goals, while Mark Stone, Tom Pyatt and Mike Hoffman also scored for the Senators.
“I thought we showed some good resilience and getting the go-ahead goal with about 7 minutes left,” Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi said. “It’s too bad we couldn’t hold it. Giving up the tying goal again with a minute left is tough to swallow. We have a couple days off now and then back to work.”