Backstrom’s OT winner helps Caps even series
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Nicklas Backstrom scored 11:09 into overtime to lift the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory on Tuesday night, tying their first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders at 2-2.
Alex Ovechkin also scored and assisted on the decisive goal, which came off a faceoff to the right of the Islanders net.
Backstrom dug the puck out in the right corner and worked his way up the boards.
He snapped a shot near the blue-line that went through a crowd and sneaked inside the far post.
Casey Cizikas scored for the Islanders as the series shifts to Washington for Game 5 on Thursday.
It was the second consecutive game decided in overtime, after John Tavares needed 15 seconds to seal the Islanders’ 2-1 win on Sunday.
The Capitals had two of the best scoring chances to open overtime, both set up by Marcus Johansson.
Five minutes in, he circled the Islanders net and sent a pass through the middle to Evgeny Kuznetsov, who was stopped by Jaroslav Halak.
Three minutes later, with the Isles caught on a line change, Johansson got the puck at the New York blue-line and passed to Jason Chimera breaking in alone.
Halak kicked out his right pad to make the save. Halak finished with 28 saves.
Ovechkin opened the scoring at 13:06 of the first off a faceoff to the left of the Islanders net. Backstrom won the draw and got the puck back to John Carlson at the right point. Carlson blasted a shot which Ovechkin deflected in while cutting across the middle.
It was Ovechkin’s second goal of the series and only second in 13 road playoff games dating to Game 2 of Washington’s second-round series against the New York Rangers on April 30, 2012.
Cizikas tied it with 13 seconds left in the opening period.
Cal Clutterbuck sparked the play by driving through the middle and getting off a bouncing shot. Braden Holtby stopped the shot, but couldn’t control the rebound which Cizikas flipped in while driving to the left post.
The third period featured both teams trading chances.
Cizikas nearly scored four minutes in when he deflected Calvin de Haan’s point shot, only to have it stopped by Holtby, who had 36 saves.
Halak was sharp during a Capitals power play that began 6:40 into the period.
First he stopped Carlson’s hard shot from the blue line, then foiled Ovechkin attempting to convert the rebound.
Later, Halak was late getting across to his left, but reached back just in time to stop Johansson, who was set up in front by Ovechkin.
The Islanders then nearly scored a shorthanded goal, when Clutterbuck had his shot go off the crossbar during a two-on-one break. It was a tightly played game throughout. The Capitals had stretches of controlling the puck in the Islanders zone, and New York countered with its speedy transition game.