Nicklas Backstrom tipped in a Dmitry Orlov shot in overtime, and the Caps beat the Blue Jackets 4-3 in Game 5 to take a three-games-to-two series lead in their 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series.
Washington can now clinch the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Monday night in Columbus.
The Capitals gave up the first goal in the game for the first time in the series. But the Capitals had an answer. The Capitals then took the lead. But the Blue Jackets had an answer. The Capitals took the lead again in the second period, but the Blue Jackets tied the game in the third.
But Nicklas Backstrom had the answer in overtime.
Tarik El-Bashir's 3 Stars of Capitals vs. Blue Jackets Game 3
1. Nicklas Backstrom, Capitals
Backstrom delivered the Caps’ biggest goal of the season 11:53 into the extra session by knocking a point shot by Dmitry Orlov down and past Sergei Bobrovsky, who was the Blue Jackets’ best player in overtime.
The goal was Backstrom’s first of the series.
He also recorded an assist.
2. Matt Calvert, Blue Jackets
The third line winger scored nine goals in the regular season. After popping a couple in Game 5, he’s now got three in this series.
And Saturday’s was a doozy. After T.J. Oshie mishandled the puck at the blue line, Calvert was off to the races. He whiffed on his wrist shot but still managed to get the puck (and himself) in the net to even things, 2-2, early in the second period.
3. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Capitals
Kuzy was arguably the Caps’ most active forward.
Early in the second period, the smooth-skating center finished a three-on-one with a sneaky wrister that slithered through Bobrovsky’s pads. Kuznetsov also nearly set up Alex Ovechkin at the doorstep with a ridiculous slap pass. Alas, Ovi was turned by Bob, who went into the full splits to get a piece of the puck.
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