Capitals advance to 2nd round thanks to Kuznetsov's Game 7 winner
The Washington Capitals are moving on.
They defeated the New York Islanders by a score of 2-1 in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series on Monday, advancing to the second round of the NHL playoffs.
Related: 5 thoughts from Game 7 between the Islanders and Capitals
The Islanders were suffocated by the Capitals' aggressive play, which allowed their opponents to take just seven shots through two periods before the real action got underway in the third period, where two of the game's three goals were scored.
Star Performer: Evgeny Kuznetsov gets the nod thanks to his top shelf game-winner with 7:18 left in the game, beating a sprawling Jaroslav Halak.
Turning Point: Joel Ward's goal in the second period was the first to beat Halak, who was having a solid game for the Islanders.
Alex Ovechkin also lost his mind after Ward put it in.
(Courtesy: NHL.com)
Goalie comparison: Braden Holtby saw just seven shots across the first two periods and 11 in total, while Halak played an incredibly poised net, despite the loss.
| Goalie | Shots | GA | Saves | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holtby | 11 | 1 | 10 | .909 |
| Halak | 26 | 2 | 24 | .923 |
Top Highlight: Kuznetsov's game winner was a dandy, as the forward ripped a beauty over a flying Halak, who gave his all in an attempt to make the save.
Stat of the night: The refs let the two teams play, not calling a penalty until late in the game, giving the Islanders a much-needed power-play attempt. But it didn't ultimately matter, as they fell in defeat.
Series at a glance:
Game 1: Islanders 4, Capitals 1
Game 2: Capitals 4, Islanders 3
Game 3: Islanders 2, Capitals 1 (OT)
Game 4: Capitals 2, Islanders 1 (OT)
Game 5: Capitals 5, Islanders 1
Game 6: Islanders 3, Capitals 1
Game 7: Capitals 2, Islanders 1