Caps get even with Blue Jackets
Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and two assists, and Braden Holtby stopped 23 shots as the visiting Capitals beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 on Thursday to even the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.
Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin each had a goal and an assist, and T.J. Oshie also scored for the Capitals, who won in regulation after the first three games of the series were decided in overtime. All four games in the series have been won by the road team.
Game 5 is Saturday afternoon in Washington.
“All we’ve done is gotten on even terms,” Washington head coach Barry Trotz said. “We got ourselves in a hole, and we have to continue to push forward. The next game is a real pivotal game. Someone is going to take the lead in this series, and then your back is against the wall. We have to make sure we’re ready to go.”
Boone Jenner scored and Sergei Bobrovsky had 29 saves for Columbus. Bruins 3, Maple Leafs 1: Brad Marchand scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and Tuukka Rask made 31 saves as visiting Boston took a 3-1 lead in the East series. Torey Krug and Jake DeBrusk also had goals for the Bruins, who will host Game 5 on Saturday. Tomas Plekanec scored for the Leafs, who got 18 saves from Frederik Andersen. Patrice Bergeron, part of a top line that combined for 20 points in the Bruins’ two home victories to open the series, was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Honor roll: Nashville’s P.K. Subban, Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman and Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty are the finalists for the Norris Trophy, which goes to the NHL’s top defenseman. Doughty won the award in 2016 and Subban in 2013; Hedman finished third in the balloting last year. The winner will be announced June 20. Briefly: Nashville forward Ryan Hartman was suspended for Game 5 of a Western Conference series against Colorado for a check to the head of Carl Soderberg on Wednesday. The NHL noted Hartman took a poor angle and picked Soderberg’s head for the main point of contact before delivering a hit “with substantial force.” ... Tampa Bay be sanctioned forward Nikita for a Kucherov hit that injured will not New Jersey defenseman Sami Vatanen on Wednesday. Though Kucherov went airborne before hitting Vatanen — whose status for Game 5 of the East series Friday is unclear because of an upper-body injury — the NHL ruled a suspension or fine was unwarranted because Kucherov’s point of contact was Vatanen’s shoulder, not his head, ESPN reported . ... Colorado will start goalie Andrew Hammond on Friday in Game 5 after Jonathan Bernier suffered a lower-body injury in Game 4.