Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Capitals blow out Panthers
Samsonov stars in goal; top East seed in 2-1 hole
WASHINGTON — Ilya Samsonov rebounded after allowing an early goal, and Washington bounced back Saturday to show it can hang with Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida.
Samsonov had 29 saves, Alex Ovechkin scored a power-play goal and assisted on another, and the Capitals blew out the Panthers 6-1 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
T.J. Oshie deflected Ovechkin’s shot for a power-play goal, and Marcus Johansson, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Garnet Hathaway also scored for Washington, which shook off a 5-1 loss in Game 2 and an early deficit in Game 3 behind the play of its new starting goaltender and a stingy effort that stymied the NHL’s best regular-season offense.
Samsonov got the nod to replace Vitek Vanecek in net after stopping all 17 shots in relief Thursday. Samsonov allowed a goal to league MVP candidate Jonathan Huberdeau 2:45 into the first period and then stopped every shot he saw the rest of the way.
The Capitals’ penalty kill improved to 9-for-9 against Florida, which ranked fifth on the power play this season at just under 25 percent. The Panthers also led the league in scoring at more than four goals per game.
Washington, the East’s eighth seed, improved to 4-for-12 on the power play in the series.
■ Stars 4, Flames 2: At Dallas, Joe Pavelski scored twice, including the deciding tally on Dallas’ first power-play goal of the series, as the Stars took a 2-1 series lead.
Dallas had been 0-for-10 with an extra skater before Pavelski’s tiebreaking goal with 9:55 left. The 37-year-old has 64 postseason goals, the most by an American-born player.
Jake Oettinger had 39 saves for the Stars, who were outshot 41-32. Elias Lindholm and Trevor Lewis scored, putting Calgary up 2-1 in the second. Pavelski’s first goal tied it with 8:19 to go in the period.
After the teams traded shutouts and combined for only three goals in the two games at Calgary, they had another physical and brawling game. Matthew Tkachuk and John Klingberg fought 1:22 into the first period.
■ Avalanche 7, Predators 3: At Nashville, Tenn., Gabriel Landeskog had two goals and two assists as top-seeded Colorado overcame an injury to goalie Darcy Kuemper and took a 3-0 series lead.
Kuemper, who went 37-12-4 in the regular season, exited with 56.6 seconds left in the first period when Nashville center Ryan Johansen’s stick caught him through the mask.
Nazem Kadri and Devon Toews each had a goal and an assist, and Cale Makar added three assists for the Avs, who went 4-for-5 on the power play.
The Predators never had trailed 3-0 in a postseason series, and they haven’t been swept in 14 playoff appearances.
■ Penguins 7, Rangers 4: At Pittsburgh, Danton Heinen’s first postseason goal in three years at 11:02 of the third period put Pittsburgh ahead to stay, and the Penguins took a 2-1 series lead.
Evan Rodrigues had two goals and an assist for Pittsburgh, which recovered after blowing a three-goal first-period lead. Louis Domingue had 32 saves and an assist for the Penguins.
Vezina Trophy favorite Igor Shesterkin was chased after allowing four first-period goals, and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 19 of 20 Pittsburgh shots the rest of the way.