Caps oust Bruins with OT goal in Game 7

BOSTON -- Joel Ward slammed home a rebound at 2:57 of overtime to give Washington a 2-1 victory over Boston Wednesday night, sending the Capitals to the second round of the playoffs and ending the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins' hopes of a repeat.

If the Rangers beat the Senators tonight, they will host the Caps in the conference semifinals.

Rookie Braden Holtby stopped 31 shots for Washington in Game 7 -- the seventh one-goal game of the series. Matt Hendricks scored the Capitals' other goal.

Tyler Seguin scored, and Tim Thomas made 26 saves for Boston.

It was the first time in NHL history that a playoff series had seven games determined by one goal. Four of the games went to overtime, and two others were decided with less than two minutes left in regulation.

Hendricks scored midway through the first period, and Seguin tied it in the second. It stayed that way through a scoreless third.

Patrice Bergeron had a chance to win it in the first minute of the extra period, but he couldn't get off a solid shot from Holtby's right. Two minutes later, the Capitals broke into the Boston zone with former Bruin Mike Knuble leading a 2-on-1.

Knuble shot, and Thomas left the rebound out where Ward could reach it with his backhander.

The building fell silent as the Capitals celebrated just their third postseason series win since a run to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998. Some fans littered the ice with debris, but the Bruins waited for the postgame handshake.

Thomas, bringing up the rear, gave Holtby a tap on the shoulder and said, "Great job, kid."