Islanders roll in Game 5, eliminate Caps

Anthony Beauvillier scored twice, Semyon Varlamov shut out the team that drafted him and the sixth-seeded Islanders knocked the third-seeded Capitals out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round by beating them 4-0 on Thursday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference series in Toronto.

Coach Barry Trotz has now advanced in the postseason two years in a row since the Caps opted to let him leave rather than giving him a raise after he led them to the Stanley Cup.

The Caps erased a two-goal deficit in Game 4 on Tuesday to avoid a sweep but didn’t have the same response in their second consecutive elimination game. Goaltender Braden Holtby didn’t get much help in allowing two goals on 15 shots in what could be his final game with the organization.

Beauvillier scored on the power play midway through the first period and then at even strength in the second.

Empty-netters by Nick Leddy and and Josh Bailey sealed it for the Islanders, which didn’t miss a beat without injured alternate captain Cal Clutterbuck. Varlamov finished with 21 saves.

Golf: Harris English made the difficult look easy in The Northern Trust, just like he has done all year to even reach this position in the PGA Tour’s postseason. Facing the tough stretch on the back nine of the TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts to start his round, English hit 5-iron on the 11th and 12th holes, both of them to about 8 feet for birdies. He followed with two long birdie putts to run his streak to four, and finished at 7-under 64. By the end of the opening round, English shared a one-stroke lead with Kevin Streelman, Cameron Davis of Australia and Russell Henley, who finished with a tap-in eagle. Tiger Woods opened with a 68 with five birdies over his last 10 holes . ... Amy Olson fired an opening-round 4-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead at the Women’s British Open, the first major of the LPGA season. Sophia Popov of Germany and Marina Alex were the only other players under par, both with 70 at Royal Troon in Scotland.

NBA: Commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN that the league is likely to delay its previously planned Dec. 1 start for the 2020-21 season in the hope of getting paying fans back into arenas . ... The National Basketball Players Association has been preparing its membership for the likelihood that the start of free agency in mid-October could be pushed back several weeks, ESPN reported . ... The Timberwolves won the draft lottery, giving them the No. 1 pick. The last time the T’wolves had the top pick, they selected Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015. The Warriors got the No. 2 pick, their highest pick since 1995. The Hornets will pick third and the Bulls fourth. The draft remains scheduled for Oct. 16.

NFL: Washington coach Ron Rivera told ESPN that he has been diagnosed with cancer two weeks ago but plans to continue coaching. Rivera, 58, was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of the neck. He said it’s in the early stages and that the form of skin cancer considered “very treatable and curable.” Rivera told his team the news Thursday.