Capitals take 3-2 lead over Blue Jackets

Nicklas Backstrom scored his second goal of the game 11:53 into overtime to give the Capitals a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jackets on April 21 and a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series. NHL roundup.

• Nicklas Backstrom scored his second goal of the game 11:53 into overtime to give the Capitals a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jackets on April 21 and a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Braden Holtby made 16 of his 39 saves in the third period to help Washington get to overtime. Four of five games between the teams have gone past regulation making fatigue a factor for Game 6 Monday night in Columbus.

Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie scored along with Backstrom in regulation for the Capitals, who became the first home team this series to win a home game. Holtby has been in net for Washington’s three consecutive victories after replacing Philipp Grubauer in Game 2, stopping 102 of 108 shots to turn the tide. Fellow Vezina Trophywinning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky allowed a soft goal to Kuznetsov as one of his four on 29 shots in the loss. Matt Calvert scored shorthanded and on a breakaway and Oliver Bjorkstrand had a deflection goal for Columbus.

Holtby said Friday referees have done a good job in the playoffs calling it like the regular season, and that trend continued in abundance in Game 5. An early roughing call on Washington’s Lars Eller yielded nothing, and a slash by Columbus’ Thomas Vanek actually led to a shorthanded goal by Calvert 10:08 into the first period.

Backstrom tied the score at 1 less than three minutes later, banking the puck off Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard’s left skate and watching it trickle down Bobrovsky’s back and in for his first goal of the playoffs.

The parade to the penalty box continued in the second period of a sloppy, mistakefilled game. A bad line change by the Blue Jackets gave the Capitals a 3-on-1 rush that was easier than any power play, with Kuznetsov going five-hole on Bobrovsky 3:21 into the second.

• Nikita Kucherov scored his 27th career postseason goal and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 shots as the top seed in the Eastern Conference beat the visiting New Jersey Devils, 3-1, on April 21 to end the first-round series in five games.

Mikhail Sergachev became the youngest player in Lightning history to score a playoff goal and Ryan Callahan, back in the lineup after missing the previous two games with an upperbody injury, sealed it with an empty-netter with 1.7 seconds remaining.

NICK WASS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov hits Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg during overtime April 21 in Washington. The Capitals won, 4-3.