STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Caps' stars help rookie even series

Members of the Montreal Canadiens pile on teammate Alex Galchenyuk following his winning goal in overtime Friday night against the Ottawa Senators. Montreal won 3-2 to take a 2-0 series lead.
Members of the Montreal Canadiens pile on teammate Alex Galchenyuk following his winning goal in overtime Friday night against the Ottawa Senators. Montreal won 3-2 to take a 2-0 series lead.

CAPITALS 4, ISLANDERS 3

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom helped make a winner of a rookie replacement goalie making his second start all season for the Washington Capitals.

Reunited on Washington's top line, 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 New York Islanders on Friday night that evened the first-round playoff series at a game apiece.

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 1/2 minutes left.

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.

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 since 1972, and will move to Barclays Center in Brooklyn next season.

Grubauer was called up from the minors Friday to replace starting goalie Braden Holtby, who was ill. Grubauer, a 23-year-old from Germany, made 18 saves, settling down after giving up goals to Cal Clutterbuck, Ryan Strome and Kyle Okposo.

As they vowed, the Capitals came out far more active and aggressive Friday than in Wednesday's flat Game 1, maintaining possession for significant stretches. The problem? While Washington managed to take shot after shot after shot -- 31 times in all, they sent the puck in the general direction of the net in the first period -- very few were on-target.

A major part of that was the Islanders' doing: They blocked 15 shots in the first period, when the Capitals were credited with zero.

Clutterbuck, meanwhile, breezed through the neutral zone, and sent a wrister past Grubauer less than 5 1/2 minutes into the game on New York's second shot. The Islanders went ahead 2-0 slightly under 3 1/2 minutes into the second period, when captain John Tavares set up his buddy Strome for a wrister from the slot.

But the Capitals' near-constant pressure finally paid off with 8 1/2 minutes left in the second. Islanders left wing Matt Martin lost his stick, and the Capitals passed the puck around, looking as if they were on a power play. With the crowd roaring its approval as the possession continued, defenseman Mike Green slid the puck across the ice to Karl Alzner, who beat Halak on the glove side.

After New York restored a two-goal lead, Washington again took advantage of an Islanders player's broken stick -- Okposo, this time. Backstrom passed to Matt Niskanen, whose shot went off Halak's pads and to Ovechkin. The three-time NHL MVP poked the puck in from beside the crease.

Ovechkin did a high leg kick to celebrate his first point of these playoffs.

The Capitals led the league in power-play percentage each of the past three seasons, and on their first opportunity of the game -- third of the series -- Backstrom converted, making it 3-all with a little more than 16 minutes remaining.

After Chimera put the Capitals in front, Grubauer made the lead stand up, hearing plenty of chants of "Groob!" from the fans.

CANADIENS 3, SENATORS 2, OT

MONTREAL -- Alex Galchenyuk scored on a spin-around shot 3:40 into overtime, leading Montreal to a victory over the Ottawa Senators that gave the Canadiens a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Max Pacioretty, back from a concussion, and P.K. Subban scored in regulation for the Canadiens, while David Desharnais picked up an assist on each.

Clarke MacArthur and Patrick Wiercioch scored for the Senators, and Mark Stone added two assists despite limited mobility in his right wrist from a slash by Subban in the series opener Wednesday night.

Pacioretty returned to the lineup for the Canadians after sitting out Game 1 with the head injury he suffered near the end of the regular season.

Carey Price stopped 29 shots for Montreal, while Ottawa's Andrew Hammond made 37 saves.

Game 3 is Sunday in Ottawa.

The Senators came out hitting, throwing 21 checks in the first period alone, and got the lead. Stone was in on the opening goal with a pass on a rush during which MacArthur beat Price with a dipping shot from the slot at 18:42.

The Canadiens adjusted to the Senators' forechecking and turned the tables in the second, outshooting Ottawa 14-3, and taking the lead.

PREDATORS 6,

BLACKHAWKS 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Craig Smith scored the first two playoff goals of his career and added an assist, and the Nashville Predators cruised past the Chicago Blackhawks to tie their Western Conference opening-round playoff series at a game apiece.

The Predators won for the first time since clinching a postseason berth on March 28. Pekka Rinne made 24 saves for the victory and even had an assist. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist,

and Colin Wilson, Roman Josi and Mike Santorelli each scored a goal. Nashville lost captain Shea Weber to a lower-body injury nearly midway through the second period.

Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane scored for Chicago, which is chasing its third Stanley Cup trophy in six years. Corey Crawford, yanked after one period in Game 1, gave up three goals in 2 minutes, 19 seconds.

Game 3 is Sunday in Chicago.

CANUCKS 4, FLAMES 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Eddie Lack made 22 saves and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Calgary Flames to even their first-round playoff series at a game apiece.

Daniel Sedin, Chris Higgins, Ronalds Kenins and Radim Vrbata scored for the Canucks.

Kris Russell scored late in the third period for the Flames to end Lack’s shutout bid.

Jonas Hiller made 26 saves for Calgary before giving way to Karri Ramo, who came in with 5:52 remaining in the game. Vancouver went 1 for 3 on the power play, while the Flames failed to convert on their only chance with the man-advantage. Calgary hosts Game 3 on Sunday.

Sports on 04/18/2015

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