Backstrom's OT goal helps Capitals top Blue Jackets in Game 5

WASHINGTON -- Nicklas Backstrom scored at 11:53 of overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 4-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Capital One Arena on Saturday.
Backstrom had two goals, Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie scored and Braden Holtby made 39 saves for Washington, which has won three games in a row to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Game 6 is at Columbus on Monday.

WATCH: [All Blue Jackets vs. Capitals highlights | Complete Capitals vs. Blue Jackets series coverage]
"We had 0-and-2 there, but obviously the whole team felt like we played better than the results," Backstrom said. "That's the way it is in the playoffs. It's going to go up and down. It's best out of seven, so you've just got to keep grinding. The last three games, we've been doing that."
Backstrom won it when he redirected Dmitry Orlov's shot from the point past Sergei Bobrovsky for his second goal of the game. It was the fourth overtime goal of Backstrom's NHL playoff career, but the first since 2015 against the New York Islanders in a first-round series.
Columbus has never won a playoff series, but will try to keep its season alive in an elimination game Monday.

"We'll be back here for Game 7," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said.
Columbus scored first for the first time in the series when Matt Calvert beat Holtby on a 2-on-1 shorthanded chance at 10:08 of the first period. It was the first of two goals for Calvert.
The Capitals tied the score at 13:22 when Backstrom flipped the puck from behind the net and it deflected off Bobrovsky and David Savard.
Washington took a 2-1 lead at 3:21 of the second period when Kuznetsov took a stretch pass from Orlov and beat Bobrovsky under his right pad.
Calvert's second goal of the game tied it at 4:45 when he lost control of the puck on a breakaway but spun around to his right and carried the puck and himself into the goal to make it 2-2.

Oshie's power-play goal at 16:42 of the second gave the Capitals a 3-2 lead, but the Blue Jackets tied it again at 2:30 of the third when Oliver Bjorkstrand redirected Alex Wennberg's shot from the point to make it 3-3.
Both goalies were solid in overtime, when the Capitals outshot the Blue Jackets 8-6. That was a change from the third period, when the Blue Jackets outshot the Capitals 16-1.
Bobrovsky made 25 saves.

"Disappointing, because I thought we completely outplayed them in the third, had all the momentum, had some great chances to bury in overtime," Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. "Missed the net or just wide or he makes a great save. That's the difference in the game."
Holtby's series of saves on Cam Atkinson with the pads and then the glove against Pierre-Luc Dubois on the rebound at 8:44 kept the game tied 3-3.
Philipp Grubauer started the first two games of the series before Trotz turned to Holtby for Game 3.
"We've had a period where it didn't quite go our way and we've always regrouped at intermissions and came back," Holtby said. "It shows our confidence and our experience in a lot of areas. We did that again tonight. In order for us to have success the rest of the way in the playoffs, we're going to have to do that again."

It was the fourth overtime game of this series, with each team winning twice. The Capitals have a chance Monday to advance to the second round for the fourth consecutive season; the Blue Jackets are still seeking their first series win.
"Our backs are against the wall, right?" Foligno said. "If you can't play your best game come Monday, then that's disappointing."

Goal of the game

Backstrom's goal at 11:53 of overtime.

Save of the game

Holtby against Pierre-Luc Dubois at 8:44 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Calvert's shorthanded goal at 10:08 of the first period.

They said it

"I won't have to say a [darn] word to them. We'll be back here for Game 7." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella
"Nick Backstrom was outstanding tonight. He's a big-moment guy and he got it done." -- Capitals coach Barry Trotz

Need to know

All six Capitals home games in the first round have reached overtime in the past two postseasons. The Capitals have gone to overtime in 13 of their past 24 playoff games dating to the 2016 second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. ... The Blue Jackets haven't scored a power-play goal in their past 13 attempts.

What's next

Game 6 of Eastern Conference First Round at Nationwide Arena on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; CNBC, SN, TVAS, FS-O, NBCSWA)