Capitals 1, Rangers 0
WASHINGTON -- Exactly two years after recording the first playoff shutout of his career against the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby did it again, proving he's a pretty sure bet after losing the game before.
Holtby turned aside all 30 shots he faced, including a late barrage with New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist pulled for an extra attacker, to lead the Capitals to a 1-0 victory on Monday and a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Capitals center Jay Beagle scored the game's only goal with 7:31 gone in the second period.
Game 4 will take place Wednesday night at the Verizon Center in Washington.
With the win, Holtby improved his playoff record to 9-2 following games he has lost. He has allowed two or fewer goals in each of those nine wins.
His biggest save on Monday came on a breakaway by Rangers right winger Martin St. Louis with 6:35 remaining in the second period.
Lundqvist stopped 18 of 19 shots for the Rangers, who have had each of their last 10 playoff games decided by one goal.
Beagle's goal, his first of the 2015 playoffs, came on a fluky play. After shooting wide left of the net, Beagle hunted down the puck, swung around the back of the net and saw his centering pass carom off the back of Lundqvist's left skate and into the net for his third career playoff goal.
It was also the first playoff goal for the Capitals' third line of right winger Troy Brouwer, rookie left winger Andre Burakovsky and Beagle. Brouwer and Burakovsky earned assists on the play.
Even though they were outshot 11-7, the Capitals dominated much of the opening period, but failed on a pair of power plays, and the two teams entered the first intermission scoreless.
Lundqvist had to be the best player on the ice for the Rangers and he was, stopping Washington left winger Marcus Johansson on a breakaway 6:10 into the game, then stopping Capitals left winger Alex Oveckhin with a shoulder save from about 20 feet on an uncontested power-play shot.
Lundqvist also had a little luck on his side on the Capitals' second power play of the period when right winger Joel Ward swatted an Ovechkin rebound wide of the net.
That luck turned in the second period when Beagle banked one off his skate for what proved to be the game-winner.
The Rangers staged a furious assault on Holtby in the third period with nine shots on goal and at least a half dozen more blocked by the Capitals. But Holtby calmly withstood the flurry and emerged with the 15th playoff victory of his career.
NOTES: Capitals D Tim Gleason played in Game 3 despite an undisclosed injury. With Gleason's playing status in doubt, the Capitals recalled D Nate Schmidt from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. Schmidt is expected to return to the Bears for Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against the Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday. ... Rangers RW J.T. Miller and Capitals RW Tom Wilson were junior teammates with the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League in 2011-12. ... The Rangers entered the game having won 30 of their last 43 road games, including each of their two road games in the playoffs. They also had won Game 3 on the road 11 consecutive times, dating back to 1992. None of that mattered in Monday's road loss. ... Capitals C Jay Beagle entered the game as the playoff leader in faceoff winning percentage, at 65.7 percent. ... The teams will meet again at Verizon Center in Game 4 on Wednesday night.