Orpik scores in OT, Capitals take 2-0 lead over Hurricanes
Matt Duchene had a goal and three assists, Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves, and Columbus stunned Tampa Bay to take a 2-0 first-round series lead. NHL leading scorer Nikita Kucherov of Tampa was suspended for today’s Game 3. Kucherov was suspended for boarding Columbus defenseman Markus Nutivaara late in Game 2. Kucherov was given a major penalty and ejected for hitting Nutivaara in a defenseless position with 4:26 remaining in the lopsided defeat.
Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey scored in the third period and New York beat Pittsburgh for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series. Anthony Beauvillier also scored and Robin Lehner stopped 32 shots to help New York open a postseason series with two wins for the first time since sweeping Edmonton in the 1983 Stanley Cup Final for the Islanders’ fourth straight championship.
Mark Stone scored the tiebreaking goal on a power play created by a penalty that negated an apparent San Jose goal and Vegas responded after blowing a three-goal lead in the first period to beat the Sharks and tie their playoff series at one game apiece.
Oskar Sundqvist scored twice to lead St. Louis.
Washington — A rat falling out of the arena hallway ceiling during the Carolina Hurricanes’ warmup game of soccer was just a precursor to a wacky afternoon of playoff hockey.
Long after the dead rodent was removed, Game 2 between the Hurricanes and Washington Capitals included a questionable ejection for a check to the head, a shot off one goalie’s mask and another that went in off the other goalie’s backside. It fittingly ended with an overtime goal from an unlikely source that sent the defending Stanley Cup champions into a wild celebration around the team’s most popular player.
Veteran leader Brooks Orpik scored 1:48 into overtime Saturday to give Washington a 4-3 victory and a 2-0 lead over Carolina in the firstround series. His fourth goal in his 151st playoff game was his third winner, and Orpik became just the 11th defenseman in NHL history with two postseason overtime goals.
“I’m probably not counted on for too many goals, but I think if you want to have the long runs, you need everybody kind of chipping in and doing things they don’t normally do,” Orpik said. “Always feels good when the team comes out on top.”
The Capitals came out on top thanks to Alex Ovechkin’s two perfect passes, a 5-on-3 penalty kill and a stick shortage by Carolina that allowed Evgeny Kuznetsov to find Orpik for his goal. Afterward, owner Ted Leonsis quipped, “Just like it was drawn up.”
There was no way to script the strange happenings that unfolded on and off the ice. Perhaps it was an omen for things to come when the ball used in the Hurricanes’ pregame soccer ritual knocked a rat down from the ceiling.
“I saw that,” Carolina’s Sebastian Aho said. “First time I’ve seen it. Kind of odd.”
Then the game happened. Just like Game 1, the Capitals jumped out to an early 2-0 lead — this time on goals by Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie — but this time the Hurricanes didn’t wait until the third period to come back.
Lucas Wallmark scored late in the first after teammate Saku Maenalanen brushed Braden Holtby, which Capitals coach Todd Reirden challenged for goaltender interference. It held up because the NHL situation room and referees determined the contact wasn’t significant enough to disallow the goal.
Predators 2, Stars 1 (OT)
Craig Smith scored five minutes into overtime to give Nashville a victory over Dallas, tying the first-round Western Conference series at 1-1.
Smith scored his first this postseason from the inside edge of the left circle to snap a three-game playoff skid on home ice for Nashville.
Rocco Grimaldi also scored for Nashville, and Pekka Rinne made 22 saves. The Predators had lost five of their last six postseason games in the place they call Smashville.
Jamie Benn scored for Dallas The Stars were outshot 43-23. Game 3 is Monday night in Dallas. The teams went to overtime twice during their five-game series during the regular season, and Dallas won the opener 3-2. So it was no surprise they went past regulation yet again.
The Stars went 0 of 6 on the man advantage after being the NHL’s 11thbest on the power play during the regular season.