Bozak's OT goal gives Leafs 2-1 series lead over Caps

The Caps bottled up the speed attack that was so apparent two days earlier in a game Tyler Bozak won for Toronto in overtime.

Where once they were regularly giving opportunities to a carousel of different players and moving parts around with great frequency, this year's Leafs team has established relatively firm lines - and the production they've received from those lines is one of the main reasons Toronto is now ahead of the Washington Capitals two games to one in their first-round playoff series.

"Obviously you never want to see somebody go down like that", Leafs centre Auston Matthews said. He felt it inch a tick higher when Game 2 was had in double overtime behind the second of two goals from another rookie, Kasperi Kapanen. "It's the first team to four [wins]".

"(We can't be) too content with where we are", Gardiner said Tuesday. I thought we played with lots of energy and lots of emotion.

I thought today was, for whatever reason - we were amped up to say the least.

The Washington Capitals started the playoffs as the favorites to win the cup but now find themselves in serious trouble down 2-1 on the road.

"I think you go into every series hoping that you win every game, but the reality of the playoffs - and you can look around at any of the series for the most part - the teams that are in the playoffs are very, very good", said Trotz. Matthews and Kadri added assists and Morgan Rielly contributed two assists for the Maple Leafs.

Head coach Barry Trotz needs to change this. They scored twice in the first five minutes with both goals coming from their vaunted top line of Ovechkin, Backstrom and T.J. Oshie.

Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell scored first-period goals and John Gibson made 35 saves in the Ducks' 29th consecutive victory over the Flames at Honda Center since April 25, 2006, extending the longest such streak in National Hockey League history. Braden Holtby made the initial save, but Nylander collected the rebound and fired it past the now helpless netminder.

"The first half was pretty good", Holtby said. "When a goalie gets hot like that, it makes it easier for us". It seems like we didn't push through as well as we can. Game two was a big confidence builder for us. That's a frustrating one. The Capitals scored the first goal of the game for the first time in the series, courtesy of a centering pass from defenseman Nate Schmidt to Nicklas Backstrom at four-on-four. Matthews broke his brief playoff dry spell with his two points and six shots (more than the first two games combined) while Nylander managed nine shot.

Toronto pelted Holtby with five shots with almost two full minutes of a five-on-three advantage, but couldn't score. "The guys on the Marlies are watching this game saying, 'I can't believe they're giving this guy a seven-year contract, [he's] minus-2 and he keeps playing'". Sure they lost the game, but they made a statement. That was a huge kill for us.

Ovechkin was chased down by Mitch Marner on his breakaway late in the first OT, and Andersen was able to deflect the puck just wide of the post. Coach Mike Babcock has done an excellent job getting the most out of his young team all season, overcoming the team's shortcomings in the defensive end with excellent special teams and strong play in the offensive zone.

Kadri's first goal of the playoffs found its way through at 15:13 of the second period to cut the lead to one. They've got a good attitude, they like to laugh, and they don't mind a good tightening once in a while to get them back on track. "But it's something that comes back, one, two rushes into the game muscle memory kind of takes over". He's been doing that all year.

The Russian defenceman told reporters he will return to the Maple Leafs lineup Monday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET) after missing the first two games of the Eastern Conference quarter-final against Washington with a suspected concussion.

All three games have gone to overtime. The Maple Leafs hosted their first home playoff game since May 12, 2013, when they defeated the Boston Bruins 2-1.