Capitals stave off elimination, force Game 7 in Eastern Conference final

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals’ Stanley Cup hopes were revived by Alex Ovechkin bulldozing through bodies, by Braden Holtby standing tall in net, by Chandler Stephenson hustling down the ice to negate an icing and by Devante Smith-Pelly perfectly placing a shot through Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Capital One Arena’s oft-angsty crowd started singing along to the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” their belief suddenly restored. These Capitals seem to save their best for when they are most desperate, and they staved off elimination in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final Monday night with a bruising, hard-earned 3-0 win to force a Game 7 at Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena on Wednesday.

The Capitals checked the Lightning in every which way for most of the first two periods. They were eventually rewarded with their first power play since Game 4 - and then capitalized. They got an insurance goal midway through the third period when Stephenson raced down the ice to fight off an icing call, backhanding the puck to a trailing Smith-Pelly in the slot. Washington ultimately didn’t even need the extra cushion. Holtby collected his first shutout of the season with 24 saves.

On Monday morning, Ovechkin said this was “probably” the most important game of his career. “It’s two steps and you’re in the Stanley Cup final,” he said. As if to emphasize the point, he was a one-man wrecking ball to start the game. He knocked 6-foot-6 defenseman Victor Hedman off the puck - and then Yanni Gourde, too. Ovechkin crunched Chris Kunitz against the boards, and he leveled Braydon Coburn behind the net.

He had four hits through two periods, and Tom Wilson and Brooks Orpik followed his lead with four more apiece. As the Capitals controlled play for the first 40 minutes, they also made sure the Lightning felt them. When the second period was over, Washington had a 29-13 edge in hits, perhaps hoping to wear down Tampa Bay not only in this game, but for the next one, too.

The physicality also energized a home crowd that the Capitals have struggled in front of this postseason. Washington was 3-5 at Capital One Arena before Monday night, and each big hit brought approval from the red-clad fans.

The first goal of the game brought even more cheering. Coming out of first intermission, Capitals Coach Barry Trotz had a word with officials. Then Ovechkin skated over to conference with them. Washington had gone five full periods without a power play, and the team was clearly frustrated.

Then, 13:49 into the second period, Coburn was called for hooking. A John Carlson blast from the point seemed to go in - fans started to celebrate, and the goal horn even briefly went off - but the shot pinged off the post. Thirty-five seconds later, forward T.J. Oshie’s one-timer from the slot finally beat Vasilevskiy 15:12 into the period to give Washington a 1-0 lead that held up through two periods.

Meanwhile, Holtby held his own at the opposite end. Through the first 12 games Holtby started this postseason, he had an impressive .928 save percentage and a 2.04 goals against average. But in Washington’s previous three games entering Monday, all losses against the Lightning, Holtby had allowed 3.49 goals per game and posted an .844 save percentage, one of the reasons Tampa Bay was able to pull ahead in the series.

He wasn’t tested too much through two periods Monday, peppered with just 14 shots, but when the Lightning did get to him, he was sharp.