Caps rally to make winner of Grubauer

WASHINGTON— So what if the Capitals’ goalie was a last-minute rookie replacement, making his second NHL appearance all season?

So what if Alex Ovechkin’s club had played nearly 51⁄ periods without

2 holding a lead, and was facing a twogoal hole that was getting close to putting Washington in a two-game series deficit against the New York Islanders?

So what if those Islanders seemed to block every shot at one end, then turn every odd-man rush into a goal at the other?

Sometimes a group that will try new things when the going gets tough, the Capitals were determined to stay the course this time. Nicklas Backstrom delivered a goal and two assists and Ovechkin scored once, leading the Capitals and fill-in goalie Philipp Grubauer to a 4-3 comeback victory over the Islanders on Friday night that evened the first-round playoff series at 1-1.

“Just because it doesn’t work right away, doesn’t mean it’s not working. You’ve just got to keep doing the same things and the right things — and I thought we did,” Washington coach Barry Trotz said.

After Washington’s two stars — Ovechkin led the NHL in goals, Backstrom was No. 1 in assists — both scored to erase a 3-1 deficit, Jason Chimera netted the go-ahead goal with 12 minutes left.

“Stuck with the game-plan,” said Chimera, who had only seven goals in the regular season. “We wanted to stick with it, no matter what.”

Chimera, who was whistled for penalties at the 20-minute mark of the second and third periods in the Capitals’ 4-1 Game 1 loss Wednesday, sent a wrister past Jaroslav Halak to give the hosts their first lead of the series. Chimera’s initial shot was blocked, but the puck came right back to him, and he didn’t miss on the second chance.

“We got a little less aggressive,” Islanders captain John Tavares said.

The series shifts to New York for Game 3 on Sunday and Game 4 on Tuesday. The Islanders are playing their last season at Nassau Coliseum, their home since1972, before moving to Brooklyn.

“We’re going to come with some pretty serious intensity in Nassau, so it’ll be up to them to match us,” said Cal Clutterbuck.

Ryan Strome and Kyle Okposo also helped give the Islanders leads of 2-0 and 3-1by putting the puck past Grubauer, a 23-year-old German called up from the minors Friday to replace ill starter Braden Holtby.

Asked what adjustments he made after the first period, Grubauer shrugged and replied: “Just stop the puck. It’s not rocket science.”