Lightning fall 5-3 to clinching Caps
TAMPA — T.J Oshie had three goals and an assist, Justin Williams and John Carlson had early third-period goals, and the Washington Capitals clinched a playoff spot by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Saturday night.
Oshie scored twice, including an early powerplay goal, as the Capitals took a 2-0 lead midway through the first. He completed the hat trick with an empty-netter during the final minute. Oshie has 10 goals and 19 points in 14 games against Tampa Bay.
Williams had a redirection goal 3:14 into the period before Carlson swatted a thigh-high puck home to make it 4-2 at 5:30.
Washington also got four assists from Nicklas Backstrom, and Braden Holtby stopped 26 shots.
Nikita Kucherov had two goals, and Alex Killorn had the other goal for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves.
Kucherov got Tampa Bay within a goal with 4-3 with 1:30 left, but Oshie sealed with his third goal.
The Lightning tied it at 2 late in the first as Kucherov, on a power play set up by Oshie's high-sticking penalty, and Killorn had goals 16 seconds apart.
Killorn stopped a 16-game goal drought while Kucherov got his 32nd goal this season and 100th overall.
Alex Ovechkin assisted on Oshie's goal and tied Florida's Jaromir Jagr for the most points against Tampa Bay with 83. He has played the Lightning 63 times.
Ovechkin, who has one goal in his last 13 games, had a couple of quality chances stopped by Vasilevskiy during the first.
Blue Jackets win
NEW YORK — Cam Atkinson scored 1:19 into overtime Saturday to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders.
Oliver Bjorkstrand and Josh Anderson scored 14 minutes, 48 seconds apart in the second period for Columbus, which won for the seventh time in March and improved to 46-18-6.
Travis Hamonic and John Tavares scored for New York, which dropped to 33-26-12 with its fourth loss in five games.
This was the regularseason series finale for the Metropolitan Division rivals.
When play began Saturday, the Islanders and Tampa Bay trailed Toronto by one point for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.
Despite the loss, the Islanders were tied with Toronto at 78 points.
The Maple Leafs still hold the second wild card because they have fewer regulation losses.
Before the game, Columbus coach John Tortorella said his team was prepared for New York to attack with heavy pressure.
Instead, Columbus outshot New York 38-22 and controlled much of the game. Hamonic put New York ahead 1-0 with a slap shot at 14:18 of the first period. It was his first goal since Oct. 30 and his third of the season.