Capitals win in overtime

The Washington Capitals supposedly can’t win without Alex Ovechkin scoring. They can’t win an overtime playoff game. They can’t beat the Pittsburgh Penguins when a series is on the line.

All that has ended, and it means a riveting, entertaining series matching the NHL’s two biggest names and two of its best teams is anything but over.

David Steckel scored on a deflection of Brooks Laich’s shot and the visiting Capitals finally won an overtime playoff game, beating nemesis Pittsburgh, 5-4, on Monday night to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“I think it’s going to be a great game,” Ovechkin said. “I think the league wants us to play Game 7 [on Wednesday].”

This one couldn’t have been much better. The Capitals, losers of their previous seven overtime games, failed to hold a 4-3 lead late in regulation when Sidney Crosby scored.

The Capitals made up for it when Steckel went to the net immediately after winning a faceoff. Laich wristed the puck from the right circle and Steckel tipped it past Marc-Andre Fleury 6:22 into the overtime.

Ovechkin didn’t get a goal but had three assists.

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Chicago 7, Vancouver 5 -- Patrick Kane scored three times, Jonathan Toews had the go-ahead goal in a frantic final period and the host Blackhawks beat the Canucks to win the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2.

Chicago’s quick, talented team will make the franchise’s first appearance in the conference finals since 1995.