Capitals at Islanders
John Tavares scored a league-leading four overtime goals during the regular season, and his latest tally has given the New York Islanders a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Washington Capitals. The captain looks to continue his run of good fortune and push the Capitals to the brink of elimination when the clubs reconvene at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for Game 4 on Tuesday.
"I just wanted to get to the net and I finally got rewarded," Tavares said after scoring his first career playoff overtime goal just 15 seconds into the extra session for a 2-1 win over Washington on Sunday afternoon. Tavares has collected a goal and two assists in the series and has five and 10, respectively, during a nine-game point streak that dates to March 29. Washington's Nicklas Backstrom also has been enjoying a torrid stretch, scoring the game-tying goal for the second straight contest and adding two assists to have a hand in four of his team's six tallies. Braden Holtby was no worse for wear after missing Game 2 with an illness, making 40 saves before Tavares' tally ended Sunday's contest.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, USA, RSN360, TVA2, CSN-DC (Washington), MSG Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Eric Fehr will miss the next two games after suffering an upper-body injury on a hit from Kyle Okposo during his second shift of Sunday's tilt. "(Fehr) is out for the next two games, and we will re-evaluate after that," coach Barry Trotz said after Monday's practice. Captain Alex Ovechkin has scored just once in the series after netting a league-high 53 goals this season, while defensemen Mike Green and Matt Niskanen have notched two assists apiece.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS: With Travis Hamonic sidelined by a suspected left knee injury, fellow defenseman Johnny Boychuk has assumed the majority of the responsibility of keeping Ovechkin in line. "It's just your job," Boychuk told Newsday after blocking four shots in Game 3 and eight overall in the series. "(Ovechkin's) an excellent player, the best goal scorer in the game right now. You have to pay attention to him at all times. If you don't, you're probably going to be going home early." Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky has notched two assists and is a team-best plus-4 in the series.
OVERTIME
1. Backstrom has recorded 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 60 career playoff games.
2. The Islanders have failed on all six power-play opportunities in the series while the Capitals are 1-for-6 with the man advantage.
3. Washington has lost six in a row on the road in the postseason.