In Boston, Craig Smith scored in the second overtime on Wednesday night as the Bruins defeated Washington, 3-2.
Craig Smith scored the 2OT winner for the Boston Bruins
The win gives Boston a 2-1 series lead.
“I kind of circled back into the zone, they had a goalie set behind the net,” Smith said. “I don’t know if there was a miscommunication between the two, it kind of looked like it. But I just tried to jump on it, and it seemed like I created a little bit of a turnover there and that gave me just enough time to get it.
“But it was a great feeling. Anytime you can end one like that.
Brad Marchand scored midway through the third period to tie the game, 2-2, and force overtime.
“We have plan in place to try to play behind their [defensemen],” Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy said of Smith’s goal. “When we get away from it, we’ve had a little bit of trouble. So we’ll keep sending that message. You don’t expect to get those [goals], but if you keep playing behind their [defensemen] and force them to break pucks out, you will get some breaks like that. He stayed on it. And good for him to have the recognition to stuff it.”
Tuukka Rask made 35 saves to get the win.
Smith scored at 5:48 of the second extra session.
Alex Ovechkin and Nick Dowd scored for Washington.
“It is a tough ending,” Washington head coach Peter Laviolette said. “You know, I could tell just by the motion of the two players there was a miscommunication there. … It’s the little things, the details of the game that can make a difference, and so I think that is what makes it tough, but it doesn’t take away from … it’s a tough ending, but I thought ‘Sammy’ coming in off the 14 or 15 days that he had off, I thought he came in and had a heck of a game.”
Both teams punished each other with a total 117 hits delivered throughout the game.
Taylor Hall picked up his second goal of the postseason for Boston.
Ilya Samsonov made 40 saves in the loss.
“He was huge tonight for us,” Washington’s John Carlson said. “I wouldn’t say anything other than, ‘Keep your head up, there’s a lot more hockey to be played.’ He did a great job for us tonight. If he didn’t stand on his head, we probably wouldn’t have gotten to that point. I think he should know that, but that’s definitely something we’ll talk about.”
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