CAPITALS

happened last game when we get the lead 2-0 and they come back and win the game,” said Alex Ovechkin, who scored his seventh goal of the playoffs. “They’re experienced team, they’re not going to give up and they’re not gonna give easy play for us. We have to earn it. Today, I think we play a solid game, everybody was in and we get the result.”

It was a result that came with controversy and a potentially significant aftermath as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins came out on the wrong side of a coach’s challenge, the NHL’s video review on what would have been their second goal and lost defenseman Brian Dumoulin after a hit to the head by Tom Wilson.

Holtby stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced to frustrate the Penguins, robbing captain Sidney Crosby and linemate Jake Guentzel with sliding pad saves to continue Capitals right wing Devante Smith-Pelly collides with Penguins goaltender Matt Murray during the second period.

his strong play in the postseason.

The Penguins thought he should’ve allowed one more goal to Patric Hornqvist in the third period. No definitive replays showing the puck over the goal line and Wilson’s hit that injured Dumoulin left them steaming.

After blowing three two-goal leads through the first seven games of the playoffs, Washington at least temporarily solved that problem. Ovechkin

beat Matt Murray 1:26 in, Jakub Vrana scored on the power play later in the first period and, unlike Game 1, the Capitals made it 3-0 when Brett Connolly scored on a breakaway early in the second.

PREDATORS 5, JETS 4, 2 OT: Kevin Fiala scored at 5:37 of the second overtime and host Nashville evened the Western Conference second-round series at 1-1. The Predators got the split they needed before this series switches to Winnipeg for Game 3 on

Tuesday night. That’s where the Jets posted the league’s best home record. Craig Smith and Fiala skated up on a 2-on1, and Jets defenseman Dustin Byflugien failed to block Smith’s cross-ice pass to Fiala who beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a backhander. Ryan Johansen scored two goals, Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and two assists, and P.K. Subban had a goal and an assist as Nashville won both its 100th postseason game as a franchise and coach Peter Laviolette’s 50th with the team.