Washington Capitals stay alive in playoffs, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-1

Alex Ovechkin did everything he could to keep the Washington Capitals’ season alive.

Ovechkin threw his body around, skated around and through Pittsburgh’s defense and scored a power-play goal to help the Capitals beat the Penguins, 3-1, in Game 5 in Washington on Saturday night.

Behind a two-point game from Ovechkin and 30 saves by Braden Holtby, Washington cut its deficit to 3-2 and forced Game 6 on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. T.J. Oshie also scored on the power play and Justin Williams at even strength, cracking Matt Murray after the goaltender looked superhuman for most of the series.

Murray allowed three goals on 19 shots and was victimized on a brutal turnover by defenseman Brian Dumoulin that led to Williams’ goal. Meanwhile, Holtby was stellar.

Ovechkin scored 4 minutes 4 seconds in, eight seconds into the first power play of the night. After Chris Kunitz scored the Penguins’ first power-play goal of the series three minutes later and the momentum shifted, Ovechkin was at the center of the Capitals’ seizing it back.

It was Ovechkin’s shot off Murray’s right pad that set up Oshie for his rebound goal four minutes into the second period. After no power-play goals in the past two games and a 1-for-12 showing in the series, the Capitals’ unit that ranked fifth in the NHL during the regular season woke up.

St. Louis 4, at Dallas 1: Rookie playoff points leader Robby Fabbri had a goal and assist, Brian Elliott turned away a strong Dallas push in the third period and the Blues took a 3-2 lead in a second-round series.

Dmitrij Jaskin’s first career playoff goal put the Blues ahead for good at 2-1 in the second period, and St. Louis earned a second straight road victory.

Elliott had 27 saves to give the Blues a chance to wrap up the series in Game 6 at home on Monday night.

Blues goalie Brian Elliott (1) defends the goal against Stars left wing Patrick Sharp (10) and center Cody Eakin (20) during the first period of Game 5 on Saturday.

(LM Otero / Associated Press)

Jaskin’s go-ahead goal came after a long sequence in Dallas’ defensive end. Kari Lehtonen, who had 18 saves on 21 shots, stopped a backhander with his pad, but Jaskin got his own rebound and put it in over a sprawling Lehtonen midway through the second period.

Fabbri, who has four multipoint games in the playoffs and 10 points (eight assists) in 12 games, started the sequence to Brouwer’s goal for a 3-1 lead with a cross-ice pass to Paul Stastny, who had an empty-net goal and an assist. Stastny’s shot was deflected to Brouwer, who almost missed the puck but got enough to send it into an open net.

at San Jose 5, Nashville 1: Joe Pavelski scored two goals and the Sharks bounced back from a triple-overtime loss to take a 3-2 series lead.

Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture also scored as part of San Jose’s reconfigured second line. Melker Karlsson added a late goal.

Mike Fisher scored and Pekka Rinne made 23 saves, but Nashville allowed goals in the opening and closing minutes of the second period.