Bruins top Capitals in 2OT in Game 3, take series lead

BOSTON -- Craig Smith scored at 5:48 of the second overtime, and the Boston Bruins defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup First Round at TD Garden on Wednesday.

After Washington goalie Ilya Samsonov made a play on the puck and left it behind his net for Capitals defenseman Justin Schultz, Smith beat Schultz to the puck and tucked it inside the left post.
"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."
Tuukka Rask made 35 saves for Boston, which took the lead in the best-of-7 series. The Bruins are the No. 3 seed in the MassMutual East Division.
Samsonov, playing for the first time since May 1, made 40 saves for Washington, which is the No. 2 seed. He had been on the taxi squad and was removed from NHL COVID-19 protocol Saturday.
"He was huge tonight for us," Capitals defenseman 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."
Game 4 is here Friday (6:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN360, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS, NESN, NBCSWA).
Teams that win Game 3 after a best-of-7 series is tied 1-1 are 223-107 (67.6 percent) winning the series, including 3-1 in the first round last season.
The Capitals won Game 1 3-2 in overtime on Saturday, and the Bruins won Game 2 4-3 in overtime on Monday.

Alex Ovechkin gave Washington a 1-0 lead on the power play at 8:21 of the second period, scoring with a one-timer from the left hash marks.
Taylor Hall tied it 1-1 at 9:17 after a pass from Smith in front.
Nic Dowd put the Capitals in front 2-1 with a redirection at 18:15.
Brad Marchand tied it 2-2 on the power play at 11:32 of the third period, batting the puck at the side of the net.
The Bruins outshot the Capitals 19-8 in overtime after being outshot 9-3 in the third.
"We have plan in place to try to play behind their [defensemen]," Boston 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."

Samsonov was the third starting goalie for the Capitals in the series, after Vitek Vanecek started and sustained a lower-body injury in Game 1, and Craig Anderson started Game 2. Anderson was scratched for Game 3, and Pheonix Copley backed up Samsonov.
"It is a tough ending," Washington 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."
NOTES: It was the second time in NHL history that a team started a different goalie in each of its first three games of a postseason. The Winnipeg Jets did it in the 1986 Smythe Division Semifinals against the Calgary Flames (Dan Bouchard, Brian Hayward, Daniel Berthiaume). Winnipeg was swept in three games. … Ovechkin became the sixth player in NHL history to score 800 goals combined in the regular season and playoffs, after Wayne Gretzky (1,016), Gordie Howe (869), Brett Hull (844), Jaromir Jagr (844) and Mark Messier (803). Ovechkin has scored 730 in the regular season and 70 in the playoffs. … Capitals forward Lars Eller was out with a lower-body injury sustained in Game 2, and forward Daniel Sprong was a healthy scratch. They were replaced by Evgeny Kuznetsov, who hadn't played since May 1 and was removed from protocol Sunday, and Daniel Carr. Kuznetsov had one shot and one hit in 26:41 of ice time. Carr had one shot and one hit in 10:33. … Rask tied Gerry Cheevers for the most playoff wins for the Bruins (53).