NHL Roundup: Ovechkin scores twice as Capitals fend off elimination
Follow along here as Yahoo Sports NHL editors Arun Srinivasan and Kyle Cantlon keep you posted on the key storylines, highlights, major injuries and everything else you need to know from Tuesday’s Stanley Cup playoffs slate.
Ovechkin scores twice as Capitals stay alive, defeat Islanders
Through the first nine periods of the series, Alexander Ovechkin had only created two high-danger chances.
Enough was enough, and Ovechkin took the game into his own hands on Tuesday, scoring twice, including the game-winner as the Washington Capitals rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the New York Islanders 3-2, fending off elimination.
New York jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau opening the scoring, followed by Mathew Barzal cutting through Washington’s defense — as he routinely has throughout the series — and slapping a bouncing puck past Braden Holtby.
After Evgeny Kuznetsov put the Capitals on the board, Ovechkin took over.
First, a familiar sight. Ovechkin scored his first goal off his patented move, winding up for a one-timer at the top of the faceoff circle, leaving Semyon Varlamov helpless.
GOATee magic pic.twitter.com/mRlpJmU1tQ
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 19, 2020
In the third period, Ovechkin navigated an odd-man rush perfectly, then sniped it past Varlamov from inside the faceoff circle.
Playoff goal No. 69 for the #Gr8! pic.twitter.com/3vyNWxBKgY
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 19, 2020
Forget what the high-danger chances table said. Ovechkin is highly dangerous on the ice, always.
Stars take 3-2 series lead over Flames
John Klingberg scored a minute into the third period of Tuesday’s Game 5 as the Dallas Stars defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1, taking a 3-2 series lead.
Look at the flicka da wrist#GoStars pic.twitter.com/SfkrseYh1Z
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) August 18, 2020
Klingberg was given a clear shooting lane and wristed a deadly accurate shot past Cam Talbot for the go-ahead goal.
In doing so, Klingberg is rewriting his team’s record books.
John Klingberg boosted career postseason totals to 4-16—20 (33 GP).@johnklingberg required the second-fewest games by a @DallasStars / North Stars defenseman to record 20 career playoff points with the franchise, behind Brad Maxwell (3-19—22 in 28 GP). #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/SqzXbklCln
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) August 18, 2020
Carter Hart records 2nd consecutive shutout, Flyers blank Canadiens
Two games removed from the worst outing of his career, Carter Hart has turned into an immovable object, an impenetrable force field.
Hart made 29 saves as the Philadelphia Flyers blanked the Montreal Canadiens 2-0, recording his second consecutive shutout.
It may be seen as blasphemous, but the organization Hart is a game away from eliminating has a storied tradition of young goaltenders making their mark on the hockey world through the postseason, too, as Ken Dryden burst onto the scene in 1971 after playing just six regular-season games to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, while a 20-year-old Patrick Roy won the same award in 1986.
At 22 years, 5 days old, Carter Hart is the 2nd youngest goalie in NHL history to record back-to-back shutouts in the postseason.
Only 18-year-old Harry Lumley of the 1945 Red Wings was younger#AnytimeAnywhere pic.twitter.com/qJ9N0wb9Hp— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) August 18, 2020
We’re not using this space to suggest prematurely that Hart will automatically have the same career trajectory as both of those Hall of Famers before him — we’re still in the first round of the playoffs, after all — but having just turned 22, it’s not unreasonable to start thinking of a near-future where the Flyers’ stand-out comes away with some shiny individual hardware.
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