WASHINGTON (AP) Washington's Braden Holtby made 41 saves, Philadelphia's Steve Mason gave up a goal from 101 feet away and Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play and the Capitals beat the Flyers 4-1 in Game 2 Saturday night to take a 2-0 series lead.
Ovechkin's 37th Stanley Cup playoff goal was as predictable as Jason Chimera's goal from beyond the red line was unexpected. Mason whiffed at the puck on what turned out to be the game-winner.
The Flyers outshot the Capitals 42-23 and dominated for much of the game, but came up empty as John Carlson scored his second power-play goal in as many games and Nicklas Backstrom added one at even strength late. Jake Voracek scored the Flyers' only goal.
The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Monday night.
Mason did the splits to stop Carlson from point-blank range early in the second period and was slow to get up. He remained in the game, but less than a minute later made the mistake that will be shown on bad-goal blooper reels for decades.
After Karl Alzner backhanded the puck from his goal line, Chimera tipped it from the Capitals' side of the red line. It slid five-hole on Mason, who wrenched his head back in dismay.
RANGERS 4, PENGUINS 2
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Keith Yandle and Derick Brassard scored 18 seconds apart in the second period and Henrik Lundqvist looked just fine dealing with an eye injury and New York stopped Pittsburgh to even the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at one game.
Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider also scored for the Rangers. J.T. Miller added three assists and New York handed Pittsburgh just its third loss in its past 18 games.
Lundqvist finished with 29 saves and showed no ill effects after getting accidentally slashed in the right eye by a teammate in Game 1, forcing him to leave after the first period.
Game 3 is Tuesday in New York.
Phil Kessel scored his first two playoff goals in three years, but the Penguins' defense broke down in front of backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff, who made 24 saves.
SHARKS 2, KINGS 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Captain Joe Pavelski scored his third goal in two games, Martin Jones made 27 saves and San Jose took a 2-0 series lead on Los Angeles with a victory in Game 2.
Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks, who largely dominated their California rivals in their second straight road victory.
Jones made several key stops against his former Los Angeles teammates and hung on after losing his shutout bid on Vincent Lecavalier's power-play goal with 5:01 to play.
Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots while losing to his former backup again.
Neither team has forgotten the Kings lost the first three games of their first-round series with San Jose in 2014, only to win four straight.
Game 3 is Monday night at the Shark Tank.
STARS 2, WILD 1
DALLAS (AP) - Antoine Roussel scored from behind the net without the puck touching a stick and Jamie Benn had an unassisted goal and Dallas beat Minnesota for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference playoff series.
The Stars scored first on Roussel's strange goal about 4 minutes into the second period, when the puck ricocheted off the skates of Ales Hemsky and Roussel without either getting a stick on it.
Benn scored on a breakaway that he ended with a backhand to make it 2-0 with 9:37 left in the game, and that was big since the Wild got their first goal of the series soon after that.
Marco Scandella scored on a power play, making a slap shot from well above the left circle with 7:18 left.
The first-round series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Monday night.
Kari Lehtonen stopped 25 of 26 shots, including a last flurry by the Wild with an extra skater in the final seconds.
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