Jason Chimera scored his second game-winner of the playoffs, beating Henrik Lundqvist with an unassisted goal at 12:36 in double overtime, bumping the Washington Capitals to 4-3 win over the New York Rangers and a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
New York surrendered a three-goal lead, allowing Washington to mount a comeback in the third period and force the game into extra time.
Marcus Johansson scored twice, Alexander Semin added another and Michal Neuvirth made 36 saves for the Capitals.
Henrik Lundqvist stopped 49 shots and Artem Anisimov, Marian Gaborik and Brandon Dubinsky scored for New York.
At the conclusion of the first overtime period, the shots were 48-45 in favour of Washington but the scoreboard remained frozen in a 3-3 tie, forcing the players and fans to battle into a second OT.
Washington managed to make up a three-goal deficit in less than 12 minutes, silencing what had been a raucous New York crowd in the third period, bringing the game to a 3-3 tie by the end of regulation.
Semin scooped up a loose puck turned over by Ryan McDonagh and Johansson grabbed his first playoff goal at 16:16 in the third and his second after a shot from John Carlson grazed his shin.
After a goalless first period, it was New York who struck the first blow with Anisimov snatching his first of the playoffs in the second period, bouncing the puck off the leg of Washington’s Matt Hendricks.
Gaborik got his first goal of the series with 6:20 remaining in the second period and ended his playoff drought.
Seven seconds after Gaborik beat Neuvirth, Dubinsky pushed the Rangers to a three-goal lead to close out the second period.
New York was hoping to ride the momentum gained in a spirited win over the Capitals on Sunday to bring the series back to a draw but the Capitals will be marching home with a commanding two-game lead as they face off against the Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
