Ovechkin scores late to give Caps 4-3 win, 2-1 series lead
PITTSBURGH (AP) Alex Ovechkin knocked his own rebound out of midair and by Matt Murray with 1:07 remaining to lift the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 victory on Tuesday night in Game 3 of their increasingly testy Eastern Conference semifinal series with Pittsburgh.
Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 2-1 series lead when he collected a pass from Nicklas Backstrom and fired a shot that ripped by Murray before hitting the right post.
Ovechkin stayed with it and his baseball-like swat gave him eight goals in the playoffs and the Capitals their fourth consecutive road win in the postseason.
Ovechkin has also scored in four consecutive playoff games this postseason.
Matt Niskanen, John Carlson and Chandler Stephenson also scored for Washington. Braden Holtby finished with 19 saves. Backstrom had three assists.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist also scored, but the Penguins lost consecutive playoff games for only the fourth time since the start of their runs to consecutive Stanley Cups began in 2016.
Matt Murray made 18 stops but couldn't get his glove - a problem area all postseason - on Ovechkin's initial shot, allowing the Russian star to have a shot at the rebound.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) - Blake Wheeler scored on the power play with 4:59 to play and Winnipeg roared back from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat Nashville and grab a 2-1 lead in the second-round playoff series.
After missing on a number of earlier chances, the Jets captain connected on a rebound off Mark Scheifele's shot from a tight angle for his second of the postseason.
Dustin Byfuglien had two goals and an assist for Winnipeg, while Paul Stastny added a goal and two assists.
Wheeler also had an assist and added the empty-netter with under a minute to play. Brandon Tanev also scored with Rinne on the bench in the game's final minute.
Jacob Trouba scored a goal and set up another for a two-point night. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 stops.
Filip Forsberg and P.K. Subban each had a goal and an assist for Nashville, while Mike Fisher and Austin Watson also scored.
Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen both added two assists for the Predators, who got 38 stops from Pekka Rinne.
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