Rangers 3, Capitals 2 (OT)
RANGERS 3, CAPITALS 2 (OT): Marc Staal scored 1:35 into overtime as New York took advantage of a late Joel Ward double minor to beat visiting Washington and seize control of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
After Brad Richards tied the game with 6.6 seconds left in regulation, the Rangers began overtime with the man advantage and used it to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Staal wound up from the left point and fired a shot that hit a Capitals player in front and eluded the glove of Capitals netminder Braden Holtby.
The Rangers can earn a berth in the conference finals for the first time since 1994 with a victory in Game 6 Wednesday night in Washington.
With the teams tied 1-1 through 40 minutes, John Carlson nudged the Capitals in front with a power-play goal 4:20 into the third. The third-year blue liner blasted a Dennis Wideman pass from the point, beating Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist high on the glove side for his second goal of the postseason.
The Rangers pressed for the equalizer with the net empty and were dealt a major break when Ward was assessed a four-minute double minor for high sticking Carl Hagelin with 21.3 seconds left. New York made it count, as Richards banged home a loose puck to send the Madison Square Garden crowd into hysterics.
Anton Stralman opened the scoring just past the midway point of the first period. The veteran defenseman straddled the blue line before gathering the puck, escaping a check along the left boards and snapping a bad-angle shot that fooled Holtby on the blocker side.
Brooks Laich evened things at 8:15 of the middle frame. His initial shot was blocked, but he went to the front of the net and was rewarded after pouncing on a loose puck and snapping a shot past Lundqvist's glove with the goalie sliding the other way.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Richards' tying goal came on his first shot of the night. ... Staal has two goals and three assists in the playoffs, equaling his offensive output in 46 regular-season games. ... Capitals F Alex Ovechkin had an assist but was held without a shot on goal.