Caps hold lead, even series
Braden Holtby spun around and saw the puck on the goal line. Maybe it was in. Maybe it wasn’t.
But after mounting another two-goal lead and this time building on it instead of blowing it, the Washington Capitals made sure it wasn’t close enough for one questionable call either way to make a difference. With fresh memories of coughing up that same lead in Game 1, this time they took it to the Pittsburgh Penguins and emerged with a 4-1 victory in Game 2 to tie the secondround series.
“You can see what happened last game when we get the lead 2-0 and they come back and win the game,” said Alex Ovechkin, who scored his seventh goal of the playoffs. “They’re experienced team, they’re not going to give up and they’re not gonna give easy play for us. We have to earn it.”
• Injured star Evgeni Malkin was out of the Penguins’ lineup for Game 2. He appeared to injure his left leg in Game 5 of Pittsburgh’s first-round series against Philadelphia and has been out ever since. PREDATORS 5, JETS 4 >> Kevin Fiala scored 5:37 into double overtime, and Nashville
beat Winnipeg in Game 2 to even the series.
The Presidents’ Trophy winners had the NHL’s best road record during the regular season, but the Predators got the split they needed before this series switches to Winnipeg on Tuesday night. That’s where the Jets posted the league’s best home record.
Craig Smith and Fiala skated up on a 2-on-1, and Jets defenseman Byflugien failed to block Smith’s cross-ice pass to Fiala who beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a backhander.
• The Predators honored James Shaw Jr., the man who wrestled an AR-15 rifle away from a gunman at a Waffle House. He was given his own personalized jersey and the sold-out crowd gave Shaw a roaring ovation.