Capitals down Islanders to advance in NHL playoffs

(MENAFN- Arab News) WASHINGTON: Rookie Russian forward Evgeny Kuznetsov skated around every opponent on the ice putting Washington ahead with less than 7 1/2 minutes left in Game 7 Monday as the Capitals beat the New York Islanders 2-1 to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs.
Kuznetsov scored the sort of athletic breathtaking goal his better-known teammate Alex Ovechkin often does taking the puck from the right boards and heading across the ice before sending a rising shot over sprawling goalie Jaroslav Halak.
Joel Ward gave Washington a 1-0 lead late in the second period and Frans Nielsen pulled New York even early in the third. Braden Holtby only needed to make 10 saves.
The Capitals now face the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers who eliminated Washington from the 2012 and 2013 playoffs in Game 7 each time.
The Islanders' loss ends their playing days at Nassau Coliseum which opened in 1972. The team is moving to Brooklyn next season.
This was the first Game 7 of this year's NHL playoffs and it was a fitting conclusion to this particular matchup. Through the first six games each team scored 14 goals. Each won on the road. Each won in overtime. And during the regular season both finished with 101 standings points and three of their four head-to-head meetings went to overtime.
Washington though controlled Monday's action outshooting New York 26-11.
In Detroit Tyler Johnson scored two goals in his latest stellar performance as the Tampa Bay Lightning held on for a 5-2 victory over the Red Wings forcing a Game 7 in their first-round playoff series.
Johnson and Jason Garrison scored in the first period and Johnson added another goal in the second to give the Lightning a 3-0 lead. Tomas Tatar scored twice for Detroit but Alex Killorn answered with an unassisted goal with 5:09 remaining and Cedric Paquette added an empty-netter.
Ben Bishop made 22 saves for the Lightning who led the NHL in goals during the season but had been struggling to score on the Red Wings and goalie Petr Mrazek in this series. Mrazek made a sensational save on Brian Boyle in the second period but Tampa Bay had already taken a 2-0 lead by that point.

Zuccarello out indefinitely with upper body injury
New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello of Norway is out indefinitely with what the team calls an upper body injury.
Zuccarello is a versatile wing who sees time on power plays and as a penalty killer. He was hit in the head with a shot by teammate Ryan McDonagh in the first period of the clinching first-round victory over Pittsburgh on Friday night. He immediately skated to the bench then went to the locker room and did not return.
He has played on the team's top line for much of the season and is one of the most popular Rangers. Zuccarello had two assists in the five games vs. the Penguins and had 15 goals and 49 points in the regular season.