The New York Islanders went into Game 6 hoping to stave off elimination and keep the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum’s hopes alive for a few more games. Three goals and a raucous home crowd helped accomplish just that and the series against the Washington Capitals is now tied at three.
For the fifth time in six games, the Islanders scored first. New York center John Tavares put them up 1-0 just 6:57 into the game on a two-on-one break. Tavares kept the puck and cut across the slot, catching Capitals’ goaltender Braden Holtby moving post-to-post and sent the puck whizzing past him.
Caps defenseman John Carlson tied the game at one on the third power play opportunity for Washington. His goal from the point on the man advantage came with just 4.3 seconds remaining in the first period.
The second period was a hard hitting stalemate with neither team scoring.
With 9:27 remaining in the game, left winger Alex Ovechkin went for a big hit on Tavares in the corner to Holtby’s right. The play left a wide-open pinching Islander, defensemen Nick Leddy, to dish the puck to left winger Nickolai Kulemin all alone in front of Holtby. A quick cross crease deke netted an easy goal to put the Islanders up 2-1.
Ovechkin has never been known for his play in the defensive zone but, neglecting to play simple defense to go for a big hit cost the Capitals in a major way at a crucial point in the game. It was a crucial point in the series as well.
Islander’s right winger Cal Clutterbuck added an empty net goal with 53 seconds remaining in the game to ice Game Six and send the series to a seventh game at the Verizon Center on Monday night.
The Washington Capitals must now face some demons of the past. In Game 7 of playoffs, this franchise has lost nine of its 11 overall as well as losing six of eight on home ice.
The 2015 Game 7 will take place at the Verizon Center on Monday night with the puck drop at 7 p.m.