In brief: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom lead Caps past Isles in Game 2
NHL: Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and two assists, and Alex Ovechkin scored once, leading the host Washington Capitals and fill-in goalie Philipp Grubauer past the New York Islanders 4-3 Friday night to even their first-round playoff series at a game apiece.
After Washington’s two stars – Ovechkin led the NHL in goals, Backstrom was No. 1 in assists – were reunited on the top line, both scored to erase a 3-1 deficit. Jason Chimera netted the go-ahead goal with 12 1/2 minutes left.
Grubauer was called up from the minors to replace starting goalie Braden Holtby, who was ill. Grubauer, a 23-year-old from Germany, made 18 saves.
• Canadiens take 2-0 lead: Alex Galchenyuk scored on a spin-around shot 3:40 into overtime, leading host Montreal past the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in overtime and giving the Canadiens a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Carey Price stopped 29 shots for Montreal, while Ottawa’s Andrew Hammond made 37 saves.
• Predators tie series: Craig Smith scored the first two playoff goals of his career and added an assist, and the host Nashville Predators cruised past the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 to tie their Western Conference opening-round playoff series at a game apiece.
The Predators won for the first time since clinching a postseason berth on March 28. Pekka Rinne made 24 saves for the win and even had an assist.
Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane scored for Chicago, which is chasing its third Stanley Cup trophy in six years.
Winless Kenseth wins Bristol pole
AUTO RACING: Matt Kenseth will try for his first win since 2013 when he starts from the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Kenseth led a strong showing from Joe Gibbs Racing when he turned a lap at 128.632 mph to grab the top starting spot.
But he wasn’t sure how his pole run would help him Sunday. Kenseth is winless in 51 races since New Hampshire in September 2013, but came close last month at California until a late debris caution ruined his day.
“Finishing up front is the most important part,” Kenseth said after qualifying.
“The guy who’s on the pole always says it’s a big deal for Sunday. Qualifying and racing is different, I think everywhere. Certainly getting one lap here is a lot different than being good for 500 laps.”
It was Kenseth’s first pole of the season and 13th of his career.
• Ross Kenseth to make NASCAR debut: Ross Kenseth will make his national series debut at Chicagoland Speedway, where he will drive for the same team, car number and sponsor that his championship-winning father uses at NASCAR’s highest level.
Kenseth will run the Xfinity Series race June 20 in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota. The car will be sponsored by Dollar General. His father, Matt Kenseth, drives the same combination in the Sprint Cup Series.
Ross Kenseth turns 22 next month and has been actively trying to build a racing career but has struggled to find opportunities.
He has just two ARCA starts to his career and has never raced in one of NASCAR’s three national series.
Phelps fails to qualify in Arizona
SWIMMING: Michael Phelps has failed to qualify for the 400-meter freestyle final at a meet in Mesa, Arizona, finishing 17th overall.
The 18-time Olympic gold medalist finished fourth in his heat with a time of 4 minutes, 2.67 seconds. That put him in the C final at night, but Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman says he won’t swim it. Instead, Phelps will look ahead to Saturday, when he’s set to compete in the 200 individual medley and 100 freestyle, two events more in keeping with his penchant for shorter races at this stage of his career.
• Britain’s Peaty sets world record: Adam Peaty of Britain has broken the men’s 100-meter breaststroke world record, clocking 57.92 seconds at the British championships at the London Aquatic Centre.
The 20-year-old Peaty beat the previous record of 58.46 set by South African Cameron van der Burgh in the same venue at the 2012 Olympics.
Five tied for Gwinnett lead
GOLF: Ian Woosnam was tied for the lead at 4-under with five holes left when first-round play in the Champions Tour’s Greater Gwinnett Championship at Duluth, Georgia was suspended because of rain.
The round is scheduled to be completed this morning at TPC Sugarloaf, followed by the second round. There is more rain in the forecast today and Sunday.
Woosnam, playing in the event for the first time, was tied with Tommy Armour III, Joey Sindelar, Gary Hallberg and Olin Browne. Armour and Hallberg had four holes left, Sindelar three and Browne six.
• Sei Young Kim leads in Hawaii: Sei Young Kim shot a 2-under 70 in wind gusting to 30 mph to take a one-stroke lead in the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii.
With the breeze making birdies elusive at Ko Olina, the 22-year-old South Korean player reached 12-under 204 to break out of a first-place tie with I.K. Kim.
Sei Young Kim will take a lead into the final round for the second straight tournament. Two weeks ago, she had a four-shot advantage in the ANA Inspiration and finished fourth in the major championship.
Djokovic, Nadal in semifinals
MISCELLANY: Novak Djokovic powered his way into the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-0, 6-3 win over U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, in Monaco.
Djokovic won the first eight games before Cilic managed to hold his serve, raising a thumb in the air in relief.
Djokovic, who ended Rafael Nadal’s reign in Monte Carlo when he won the clay-court Masters tournament in 2013, will face the Spaniard in semifinals.
Nadal, an eight-time champion at the Country Club, had to battle for nearly 3 hours before securing a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over David Ferrer, who stopped him in the quarterfinals last year.
• Hanyu leads Japan: Yuzuru Hanyu won the men’s free skate as Japan pulled to within four points of the United States at the World Team Trophy in Tokyo. Heading into the final day of competition, the United States leads the standings with 83 points. Japan has 79, while Russia is in third place with 77 points.