Rangers outlast Caps in 3OT thriller

WASHINGTON — Henrik Lundqvist had just spent the better part of 4? hours repelling pucks and shooing skaters from the crease in the pressure-packed situation known as the Stanley Cup playoffs.

When it was all over, after the calendar moved from Wednesday to Thursday and the New York Rangers had defeated the Washington Capitals 2-1 in three overtimes, Lundqvist was absolutely drained.

"I think my entire body is just tired right now," said Lundqvist, who stopped 45 shots to help New York take a 2-1 lead in the series. "I just want to lay down and relax and get a massage. My neck is hurting."

Marian Gaborik scored at 14:41 of the third overtime to help the Eastern Conference's regular-season champs grab back home-ice advantage from seventh-seeded Washington.

Brad Richards sent a pass from the backboards toward Gaborik, who ended the marathon by sliding the puck between the pads of rookie goaltender Braden Holtby.

"When you get into that many hours of playing, it becomes a mental game," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "I felt if the game got longer and longer, our team was at an advantage. We have a mentally tough group. Just not giving in — that's the key."

Early in the third overtime, the Capitals killed a New York power play to keep the suspense going.

The game started at 7:40 p.m. and stretched into the next day, ending at 12:14 a.m. Thursday. There will be a two-day break before the teams meet for Game 4 on Saturday in Washington.

John Carlson got a second-period goal for the Capitals, 2-3 in overtime this postseason. Ryan Callahan scored in the second period to make it 1-0 for the Rangers, who improved to 1-2 in overtime during these playoffs.

Predators 2, Coyotes 0

In Nashville, Pekka Rinne made 32 saves as he returned to his dominating form, Mike Fisher scored his first goal of these playoffs, and the Predators found their rhythm with a shutout win over Phoenix on in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

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