NHL PLAYOFFS | Friday’s other games

Capitals 5, Flyers 4

WASHINGTON — Boxed in and bumped around all game, Alex Ovechkin eventually figured out a way to make his NHL playoff debut a memorable one. Held without a shot until late in the third period, the league’s leading scorer stole the puck and netted the tiebreaking goal with 41‚Ñ2 minutes remaining, leading the Washington Capitals over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series. The Flyers led 4-2 heading into the final period, thanks to two goals apiece by Danny Briere and Vaclav Prospal. But Ovechkin helped set up the first of two goals by defenseman Mike Green that lifted Washington into a tie. And then Ovechkin, who set a NHL record for goals by a left wing this season with 65, put the finishing touch on the Capitals’ first playoff game since 2003. The 22-year-old Russian known as Alex the Great took the puck away from defenseman Lasse Kukkonen and slid it past goalie Martin Biron. As the red-clad crowd’s “M-V-P!” chants rang through the arena, Ovechkin raced over and jumped into the glass to celebrate, then did a high-step along the boards before skating all the way down to the other end to exchange high-fives with his team’s goalie, Cristobal Huet. Game 2 is Sunday at Washington, where the hosts have won seven straight games. They’ve also won eight in a row overall, and 12 of 13, a remarkable turnaround that culminated in a Southeast Division title and No. 3 seeding for the playoffs.

Rangers 2, Devils 1

NEWARK, N.J. — Henrik Lundqvist and another flukey goal have the New York Rangers halfway to the second round, and the New Jersey Devils wondering what they have to do to beat their longtime rival. Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery scored 23 seconds apart early in the third period and Lundqvist made 26 saves in beating the Devils yet again in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The win was the Rangers’ ninth in 10 games against New Jersey this season, and it gives New York a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that will shift across the river for Game 3 on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. The Devils face a long road back. The Rangers have never lost a best-of-seven series in which they have led 2-0. New Jersey has lost 4 of the 5 series in which it fell behind 2-0. Its only comeback was in 1994 in the Eastern Conference semifinals after losing the first two games at home to Boston. Game 2 was similar to almost every other game between the teams this season. It was close until the third period, then the Rangers took over, taking 17 shots. Jagr broke a scoreless tie with another tally that left Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur shaking his head. Michal Rozsival took a shot from the point that deflected behind the Devils’ goal line. Jagr outmuscled defenseman Colin White for the loose puck and skated behind the net and came out the left side with White in pursuit.

Associated Press