NHL PLAYOFFS

High-scoring Koivu saves day for Wild

Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk (left) and defenseman Matt Dumba defend the goal against Dallas right wing Valeri Nichushkin (43) during the Wild’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Stars on Friday in Dallas.
Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk (left) and defenseman Matt Dumba defend the goal against Dallas right wing Valeri Nichushkin (43) during the Wild’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Stars on Friday in Dallas.

DALLAS -- Mikko Koivu redirected Ryan Suter's shot from the left point 4:55 into overtime and the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 on Friday night to stay alive in their first-round series.

photo

AP

Philadelphia goalie Michal Neuvirth uses a shin pad to make a save during the third period Friday on a shot by Washington center Jay Beagle (83) during the Flyers’ 2-0 victory over the Capitals in Washington. Philadelphia will host Game 6 on Sunday with a chance to tie the series.

Koivu scored the last two goals for the Wild, who go home still down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Sunday.

At a glance

NHL PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7)

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Philadelphia 2, Washington 0

Washington leads series 3-2

NY Islanders 2, Florida 1, 2OT

NY Islanders lead series 3-2

Minnesota 5, Dallas 4, OT

Dallas leads series 3-2

San Jose at Los Angeles, (n)

San Jose leads series 3-1

TODAY’S GAMES All times Central

NY Rangers at Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.

Pittsburgh leads series 3-1

Nashville at Anaheim, 5 p.m.

Series tied 2-2

St. Louis at Chicago, 7 p.m.

St. Louis leads series 3-2

Jason Spezza and Alex Goligoski scored 28 seconds apart almost midway through the third period, giving the Stars their first lead of the game.

But the Wild forced overtime when Koivu went top shelf for the tying goal with 3:09 left in regulation. Koivu, the Wild's leading scorer in the regular season with 56 points, had only one goal without an assist in the series until then.

Dallas fell behind 2-0 in the first 51/2 minutes and didn't lead until Goligoski's goal with 11:04 left in regulation that hit the back of defenseman Marco Scandella on the way into the net and made it 4-3.

That came right after Spezza's third goal of the series. With a defender tugging along, Spezza sent a shot that slid in front of Devan Dubnyk and hit the far post before ricocheting past the line to tie it.

ISLANDERS 2,

PANTHERS 1, 2 OT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Alan Quine's power-play goal at exactly 16 minutes of the second overtime gave the New York Islanders a victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Thomas Greiss stopped 47 shots for the Islanders. They lead the series 3-2 and can wrap it up with a victory in Game 6 in New York on Sunday.

Roberto Luongo made 40 saves for Florida, which missed a penalty shot in the first overtime and was whistled for two penalties in the second overtime.

Frans Nielsen scored in the first period for the Islanders, and Aleksander Barkov tied it early in the third for the Panthers.

It was the seventh consecutive playoff overtime loss for Florida, a streak beginning with the final game of the 1996 Stanley Cup final against Colorado.

FLYERS 2, CAPITALS 0

WASHINGTON -- Michal Neuvirth made a playoff career-high 44 saves and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Washington Capitals in Game 5 to stay alive in their first-round series.

Neuvirth was dominant, carrying the team on his shoulders and blunting Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals' every charge to cut the series deficit to 3-2 and send it back to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Sunday.

Ryan White scored the lone goal for the Flyers against Braden Holtby, with the puck deflecting in off Washington defenseman Taylor Chorney and past the goalie.

Sports on 04/23/2016

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