STANLEY CUP

STANLEY CUP

Saturday’s playoffs

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Capitals 6, Hurricanes 0

WASHINGTON

Nicklas Backstrom needed five games to match his goal output from the entire 2018 playoffs, and he and Alex Ovechkin have the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals one victory away from the second round. Backstrom had two goals and two assists, Ovechkin had a goal and two assists and Braden Holtby stopped all 30 shots he faced. Washington has a 3-2 series lead.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Blues 3, Jets 2

ST. LOUIS

Jaden Schwartz scored three times and Jordan Binnington stopped 18 shots to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6 of their playoff series to advance to the second round. The Blues will next face the winner of the Dallas-Nashville series. Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien scored for Winnipeg, which tried to rally after falling behind 3-0 early in the third period. Connor Hellebuyck finished with 33 saves. The Blues became the first home team to win in the series, and advanced to the second round for the third time in four years. Schwartz, who had only 11 goals in the regular season, has four.

Stars 5, Predators 3

NASHVILLE, TENN.

Alexander Radulov scored two goals in the second period and the Dallas Stars beat the Nashville Predators to push the No. 2 seed to the brink of elimination. The Stars came into the postseason as the West’s first wild card and are up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series over the two-time defending Central Division champs. Dallas will have a chance Monday night at home in Game 6. Jason Dickinson also scored twice, Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist, and Jamie Benn had three assists. Ben Bishop, named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy during the game, made 30 saves for the win. Rocco Grimaldi, Ryan Johansen and Kyle Turris scored for Nashville.

Associated Press