Maple Leafs even series with 2 OT win over Capitals
WASHINGTON -- Kasperi Kapanen scored his second goal of the game at 11:53 of the second overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Saturday night to even their best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
Toronto's Brian Boyle, skating behind the net, backhanded a pass out to Kapanen, who beat Braden Holtby to the short side.
Game 3 is Monday night in Toronto.
Washington tied it with 7:21 left in regulation. After keeping the puck in the Toronto zone for over a minute, the Capitals scored when Dmitry Orlov passed to Nicklas Backstrom to the right of Frederik Andersen and Backstrom slid the puck by the sprawling goaltender.
Andersen (47 saves) stopped Alex Ovechkin on a breakaway in the final minute of the first overtime.
James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Rielly also scored for Toronto. Boyle and Matt Martin each had two assists.
Ovechkin and defenseman John Carlson added goals for Washington. Holtby made 47 saves.
Toronto was forced to play with five defensemen after losing Roman Polak to an injury in the second period.
The Capitals wanted to get off to a better start in Game 2 and they did, controlling play throughout the first half of the first period. The Maple Leafs didn't get a puck on net until midway through the period.
The game was scoreless until Jake Gardiner, after making a nice play to keep the puck in the zone, stick-handled past one defender and into the slot before the puck came loose. It went right to Van Riemsdyk and he wristed a high shot past Holtby from the slot with 2:26 left in the opening period.
The Capitals pulled ahead with two power-play goals in the second period.
First, Ovechkin beat Andersen with a wrister from his usual spot in the left circle off a pass from T.J. Oshie at 3:47. Then Carlson fired through a screen from just beyond the right circle at 11:06 and Washington was playing with the lead for the first time in the series.
It didn't last long. Martin's centering pass deflected off Daniel Winnik's skate and right to Kapanen, who backhanded a shot through Holtby's pads to tie it at 14:25.
The Maple Leafs failed on their first four power-play chances in the series, but the fifth time was the charm. With Orlov off for tripping, Rielly fired a wrister through a screen and the puck found the top left corner to give Toronto a 3-2 lead with 30 seconds left in the second period.
NOTES: Toronto D Roman Polak appeared to injure his right leg and was helped off the ice after a second-period hit by Brooks Orpik. Polak did not return. ... With his goal, Toronto's James van Riemsdyk has 14 career playoff goals, second most among active Leafs behind Brian Boyle (15). ... Alex Ovechkin (14) passed Peter Bondra (13) for first place on the Capitals' playoff power-play goals list. ... Maple Leafs D Nikita Zaitsev (upper body injury) took part in the morning skate, but was again a scratch. ... With his assist, Washington's Justin Williams has eight points (three goals, five assists) in eight career playoff games versus Toronto.