Warriors Inch Closer to Sweep of Jazz
Things got testy between the Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, but the Warriors recorded their seventh straight win to begin the postseason with a 102-91 victory on the road in Game 3. Kevin Durant scored 38 points to help his team pull away late and move one win closer to a second straight sweep this season. Durant also grabbed 13 rebounds, as he was the main contributor with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson struggling by shooting a combined 7-for-29 from the floor, including 3-for-15 from beyond the arc. Golden State used a 10-4 run to take the lead for good in the fourth after trailing by one early on. Curry had a big three-pointer during that run and finished the night with 23 points. The Jazz kept the game competitive most of the night, as Gordon Hayward led the way with 29 points in the loss. Rudy Gobert had a double-double of 21 points and 15 rebounds, and was involved in multiple altercations with Durant, including one after the final buzzer. Golden State can complete the sweep on the road on Monday night.
Ovechkin Breaks Out of Slump, Caps Stay Alive Against Penguins
The Washington Capitals needed their stars to step up to keep their season alive on Saturday, and Alex Ovechkin did just that with a goal in the Capitals' 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5. Nicklas Backstrom also netted a rare goal this postseason to tie the game, as the top-seeded Capitals avoided another elimination at the hands of the Penguins for the time being. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored 27 seconds apart from Ovechkin, all to support Braden Holtby's 20-save performance against the Penguins. Pittsburgh did get Sidney Crosby back from a concussion, but they surrendered three third-period goals to blow a one-goal lead. Pittsburgh was previously 37-1-1 in the regular season and 6-0 in the playoffs when leading after two periods. Marc-Andre Fleury struggled for the first time this series, allowing four goals on 20 shots after posting a .937 save percentage in the first four games. The three goals allowed in the third period came on five shots over a span of 5:02. Pittsburgh has another shot to close out the series at home in Game 6 on Monday.
Senators' OT Win Keeps Home Teams Unbeaten in Series With Rangers
Both the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators have taken full advantage of their home ice in their second-round series, and most recently it was Ottawa on Saturday to take a 3-2 series lead in Game 5. Kyle Turris scored 6:28 into overtime for a 5-4 win over New York, as the home team remained undefeated in the series. The Senators rallied from a 2-0 deficit, as Derick Brassard's goal with 1:26 left forced the extra period. Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, and Tom Pyatt also scored to support Craig Andersen, who had 29 saves in the win. Erik Karlsson overcame his lower-body injury to record three assists, helping Ottawa record their fifth overtime win this postseason, which includes a double-overtime victory in Game 2 against the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist made 32 stops, but could not hang on to an early lead despite goal support from Jesper Fast, Nick Holden, Ryan McDonagh, and Jimmy Vesey. The Senators are looking to advance to their first conference finals since 2007 and can do so on the road in Game 6 on Tuesday night.
Things got testy between the Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, but the Warriors recorded their seventh straight win to begin the postseason with a 102-91 victory on the road in Game 3. Kevin Durant scored 38 points to help his team pull away late and move one win closer to a second straight sweep this season. Durant also grabbed 13 rebounds, as he was the main contributor with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson struggling by shooting a combined 7-for-29 from the floor, including 3-for-15 from beyond the arc. Golden State used a 10-4 run to take the lead for good in the fourth after trailing by one early on. Curry had a big three-pointer during that run and finished the night with 23 points. The Jazz kept the game competitive most of the night, as Gordon Hayward led the way with 29 points in the loss. Rudy Gobert had a double-double of 21 points and 15 rebounds, and was involved in multiple altercations with Durant, including one after the final buzzer. Golden State can complete the sweep on the road on Monday night.
Ovechkin Breaks Out of Slump, Caps Stay Alive Against Penguins
The Washington Capitals needed their stars to step up to keep their season alive on Saturday, and Alex Ovechkin did just that with a goal in the Capitals' 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5. Nicklas Backstrom also netted a rare goal this postseason to tie the game, as the top-seeded Capitals avoided another elimination at the hands of the Penguins for the time being. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored 27 seconds apart from Ovechkin, all to support Braden Holtby's 20-save performance against the Penguins. Pittsburgh did get Sidney Crosby back from a concussion, but they surrendered three third-period goals to blow a one-goal lead. Pittsburgh was previously 37-1-1 in the regular season and 6-0 in the playoffs when leading after two periods. Marc-Andre Fleury struggled for the first time this series, allowing four goals on 20 shots after posting a .937 save percentage in the first four games. The three goals allowed in the third period came on five shots over a span of 5:02. Pittsburgh has another shot to close out the series at home in Game 6 on Monday.
Senators' OT Win Keeps Home Teams Unbeaten in Series With Rangers
Both the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators have taken full advantage of their home ice in their second-round series, and most recently it was Ottawa on Saturday to take a 3-2 series lead in Game 5. Kyle Turris scored 6:28 into overtime for a 5-4 win over New York, as the home team remained undefeated in the series. The Senators rallied from a 2-0 deficit, as Derick Brassard's goal with 1:26 left forced the extra period. Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, and Tom Pyatt also scored to support Craig Andersen, who had 29 saves in the win. Erik Karlsson overcame his lower-body injury to record three assists, helping Ottawa record their fifth overtime win this postseason, which includes a double-overtime victory in Game 2 against the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist made 32 stops, but could not hang on to an early lead despite goal support from Jesper Fast, Nick Holden, Ryan McDonagh, and Jimmy Vesey. The Senators are looking to advance to their first conference finals since 2007 and can do so on the road in Game 6 on Tuesday night.
