NHL leading scorer Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winner in a memorable playoff debut, leading the Washington Capitals over the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Friday. Held without a shot until late in the third period, Ovechkin stole the puck and netted the tie-breaking goal with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series. The Flyers led 4-2 heading into the final period, thanks to two goals apiece by Danny Briere and Vaclav Prospal. But Ovechkin helped set up the first of two goals by defenseman Mike Green that lifted Washington into a tie. And then Ovechkin, who set a NHL record for goals by a left wing this season with 65, put the finishing touch on the Capitals' first playoff game since 2003. The 22-year-old Russian known as Alex the Great took the puck away from defenseman Lasse Kukkonen and slid it past goalie Martin Biron. As the red-clad crowd's “M-V-P!” chants rang through the arena, Ovechkin raced over and jumped into the glass to celebrate, then did a high-step along the boards before skating all the way down to the other end to exchange high-fives with his team's goalie, Cristobal Huet. Game 2 is on Sunday in Washington. Rangers 2, Devils 1: New Jersey, Henrik Lundqvist and another flukey goal have New York halfway to the second round, and New Jersey wondering what they have to do to beat their longtime rival. Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery scored 23 seconds apart early in the third period and Lundqvist made 26 saves in beating the Devils yet again in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The win gives New York a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that will shift across the river for Game 3 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Penguins 5, Senators 3: At Pittsburgh, Ryan Malone scored Pittsburgh's third power-play goal with only 1:02 remaining and the Penguins squandered a three-goal lead against Ottawa, then rallied for a sweep of their first two home games in the Eastern Conference series. Petr Sykora scored two of the three goals set up by Evgeni Malkin as the Penguins dodged what might have been a frantic, series-changing rally by Ottawa. Malone added an empty-net goal with 6.5 seconds remaining - the Penguins' 54th shot, easily their most in regulation in their playoff history. Sergei Gonchar also scored. Shean Donovan, Cory Stillman and Cody Bass scored for Ottawa. The series shifts to Ottawa for Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Wednesday. Wild 3, Avalanche 2, OT: At St. Paul, Minnesota, Keith Carney scored on a slap shot 14 seconds into overtime to lift Minnesota past Colorado, tying the Western Conference series 1-1 and giving a huge sigh of relief to more than 19,000 towel-waving fans. Minnesota's Mikko Koivu appeared to have scored the winner with 1:49 to go when he stole a pass just outside the Colorado blue line and ripped a slap shot past Jose Theodore for a 2-1 lead. But Wild defenseman Kim Johnsson was called for a hooking penalty with 1:09 to go, and Milan Hejduk tied it with 43.8 seconds to play. Niklas Backstrom made 24 saves, and Pavol Demitra also scored for the Wild. Peter Forsberg scored Colorado's first goal. Game 3 is on Monday in Denver. __
