Associated Press
The NHL roundup …
PITTSBURGH ó David Steckel scored on a deflection of Brooks Laich’s shot and the Washington Capitals finally won an overtime playoff game, beating nemesis Pittsburgh 5-4 on Monday night to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Capitals, losers of their seven previous overtime games, couldn’t hold a 4-3 lead late in regulation when Sidney Crosby scored, but made up for it when Steckel went to the net immediately after winning a faceoff. Laich wristed the puck on net from the right circle and Steckel put it past Marc-Andre Fleury 6:22 into the overtime.
Game 7 will be Wednesday night in Washington.
It was the third overtime game of the series, the most in any round of these NHL playoffs.
Alex Ovechkin, so dominating while scoring seven of Washington’s first 15 goals in the series, didn’t get a goal but had three assists and has 13 points in six games. Crosby has 10, including six goals.
Blackhawks 7, Canucks 5
CHICAGO ó Patrick Kane scored three times, Jonathan Toews had the go-ahead goal in a frantic final period Monday night, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Vancouver Canucks 7-5 to win the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2.
Chicago’s quick, talented team will make the franchise’s first appearance in the conference finals since 1995. And fittingly it was the two young stars, Kane and Toews, leading the way.