NHL playoffs: John Tavares lifts Islanders over Capitals in overtime

John Tavares can be excused if the Islanders’ captain doesn’t recall the previous time New York won a playoff game in overtime.

“I was only 3 years old then,” Tavares said, when informed it’s been 22 years since that happened.

He’ll certainly remember this one.

After winning the overtime-opening faceoff, Tavares scored 15 seconds into the extra period to seal a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series in Uniondale, New York.

With the crowd chanting “MVP! MVP” Tavares provided the Islanders a 2-1 series lead.

And he became the first Islanders player to score a playoff overtime goal since David Volek in Game 7 of a second-round 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh on May 14, 1993.

New York had lost its previous six overtime playoff games.

Game 4 is at Long Island on Tuesday.

“The best players have to be your best players if you’re going to have a chance to win a Stanley Cup,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said of Tavares.

The Islanders won by avoiding blowing a lead for a second straight game after giving up three straight goals in a 4-3 loss in Game 2 at Washington on Friday.

This time, New York gave up the tying goal with 6:06 left in regulation, when Nicklas Backstrom snapped in a shot off the crossbar.

“It happens,” Tavares said. “You have to deal with each and every shift, the adversity you face. You have to move on.”

The Islanders controlled the play from the start of overtime.

Off the faceoff, Nikolay Kulemin fired the puck at the net from center. Capitals goalie Braden Holtby played it and gloved the puck to defenseman John Carlson, who quickly sent it up the boards.

Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy intercepted the puck at the left point and shot it toward the net, where Kulemin redirected it in the circle.

Holtby made a pad save and then attempted to poke the puck into the right corner. Tavares was already racing in and shoveled the shot in before Holtby could cover the post.

Holtby was otherwise solid in stopping 40 shots, while showing no effects of an illness that forced him to miss Game 2.

The Islanders outshot the Capitals 33-13 through 40 minutes. They went ahead on Kyle Okposo’s goal 12:37 into the second period, when he deflected in Lubomir Visnovsky’s shot from the top of the right circle.

New York then spent much of the third period on its heels.

Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak stopped the first 23 shots he faced – and 10 in the third period.

“We spent way too much time in our own end,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “We’ll pout about the loss for an hour and then let it go.”

Canadiens take 3-0 lead over Sens

Dale Weise scored the tying goal late in the third period and then won it 8:47 into overtime, leading the visiting Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators in their first-round playoff series.

Montreal has a chance to complete a four-game sweep Wednesday, with Game 4 in Ottawa.

Weise sent the game to overtime with his goal with 5:47 remaining in the third. Torrey Mitchell assisted on both goals, and Carey Price made 33 saves.

Clarke MacArthur opened the scoring for the Senators at 11:28 of the first period. Craig Anderson, making his first start of the playoffs, made 47 saves in the loss.

Toews leads Hawks over Predators

Jonathan Toews had a goal and an assist, and the Chicago Blackhawks used a three-goal second period to beat the visiting Nashville Predators 4-2 for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Marian Hossa had two assists and Scott Darling made 35 saves to help Chicago win for the 20th time in its last 24 postseason home games. Mike Ribeiro and Mattias Ekholm scored for Nashville, and Pekka Rinne had 26 saves.

Flames top Canucks, lead series 2-1

TJ Brodie had a goal and an assist, and the Calgary Flames beat the visiting Vancouver Canucks 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Brandon Bollig, Sam Bennett and Sean Monahan also scored for the Flames, who host Game 4 on Tuesday night.

Calgary’s Jonas Hiller and Vancouver’s Eddie Lack each stopped 23 shots.