THE @lellerofficial 2OTGWG WAS JUST HOW HE DREW IT UP! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/2gXQnbe3f4
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 18, 2018
The Washington Capitals are still alive!
Facing a dreaded 2-0 series hole after losing the first two games on their own ice, the Capitals needed a win in Game 3 to avoid an insurmountable 3-0 lead. They got that win in a double overtime thriller thanks to Lars Eller’s deflection that rolled over the goal line to give the Capitals a 3-2 double overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets..
Brett Connolly rifled slapshot off the pad of Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. The puck bounced in front and Eller got enough to tap the rebound in the net.
Braden Holtby stopped 33 of 35 shots in his first start of the playoffs. Philipp Grubauer had started the first two games of the series but four goals in Game 1 and Game 2 before being pulled at the end of the second period of the second game in favor of Holtby.
In Game 3, both teams traded goals throughout with the Capitals jumping out in front with a Tom Wilson goal in the second period. Pierre Luc Dubois tied the game at 1-1 for Columbus at the 11:18 mark of the second period. John Carlson answered on a power play at 14:43 in the second to give Washington a 2-1 lead. However, Artemi Panarin, Game 1’s hero, scored his second goal of the series at 4:12 into the third period to tie the game at 2-2.
Washington now can breath a sigh of relief as they get a win in the series and now trail two games-to-one heading into Game 4 on Thursday night in Columbus.
