Caps beat Leafs to tie series
TORONTO >> Tom Wilson and T.J. Oshie each scored two goals, and the Washington Capitals beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 on Wednesday night to tie their firstround playoff series at two games apiece.
Alex Ovechkin added his third goal of the playoffs as the top-seeded Capitals regained momentum with the series shifting back to Washington for Game 5 on Friday night. Braden Holtby made 30 saves.
Zach Hyman, James van Riemsdyk, Auston Matthews and Tyler Bozak scored for Toronto, which was coming off a 4-3 overtime win on Monday night. Frederik Andersen stopped 22 shots.
The Maple Leafs rallied after the Capitals scored four times in the first for a 4-1 lead. Bozak, who had the winning goal in Game 3, got Toronto within one with 26 seconds left, but Washington held on from there.
Oshie got Washington on the board when he capitalized on a Nate Schmidt point shot sent purposefully wide of the net. Ovechkin then was left wide open for a one-time drive on a power play, making it 2-0 at 4:34 of the first.
It was similar to Game 3 when Toronto also went down 2-0 in the first five minutes, but the club was unable to recover this time around. The Capitals added two more goals in the first in a span of less than three minutes — both by Wilson, a Toronto native. SENATORS 1, BRUINS 0 >> Bobby Ryan scored early in the third period, Craig Anderson stopped 22 shots and Ottawa beat Boston for a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
It was Anderson’s fourth career playoff shutout.
Tuukka Rask made 26 saves for Boston, which had a goal disallowed in the first when Ottawa coach Guy Boucher challenged and the replay showed Noel Acciari was offsides.
The Bruins, who were winless in four games against the Senators in the regular season, will try to force the series back to Boston with a victory in Ottawa in Game 5 on Friday night.
After back-to-back overtime games, this one remained scoreless until 5:49 into the third, when Erik Karlsson’s slap shot deflected off Rask to his stick side. Ryan pulled it from his backhand to his forehand and swiped at it as Zdeno Chara dove behind Rask into the crease to try to knock the puck away from the goal line.
The 6-foot-9 defenseman was able to reach out and prevent the first attempt from going in, but Ryan pushed it over the line with his second.
The Bruins pulled Rask with almost 2 minutes left and managed a couple of scoring chances — both from Brad Marchand — but Anderson turned them away.
Oilers’ Draisaitl fined
SAN JOSE >> Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was fined for spearing San Jose’s Chris Tierney.
The NHL Department of Player Safety had a hearing with Draisaitl on Wednesday before fining him $2,569.44, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
Draisaitl received a major penalty and game misconduct when he hit Tierney in the groin with his stick in the second period of Edmonton’s 7-0 loss Tuesday. Draisaitl had just 20 penalty minutes in the regular season.
Agents: Eichel not pushing for change
BUFFALO, N.Y. >> If Buffalo Sabres coach Dan Bylsma’s job is in jeopardy, star forward Jack Eichel’s representatives insist their client is not the one pushing for a change.
Whether Bylsma returns for a third season won’t have any effect on Eichel negotiating a contract extension this summer, Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli told The Associated Press by phone on Wednesday.
“He loves the Pegulas and wants to be a longtime Sabre, and he loves Tim,” Donatelli said, referring to owners Terry and Kim Pegula, and general manager Tim Murray. “(A coaching change) is not even on his radar screen.”