Lightning wins, pushes Caps to brink

Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone scored 24 seconds apart in the third period and the streaking host Tampa Bay Lightning beat Washington, 4-3, to push the top-seeded Capitals to the brink of elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals last night.

After winning twice in Washington, the Lightning returned home and rallied to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Tampa Bay can advance to the conference finals with a victory at home tonight in Game 4.

Vincent Lecavalier and former Islander Sean Bergenheim also scored for the Lightning, whose sixth straight postseason win gave them a commanding lead in the best-of-seven series. Tampa Bay hasn't lost since falling into a 3-1 hole against Pittsburgh in the first round.

Alex Ovechkin had a power-play goal and an assist for Washington, which led 3-2 heading into the third period after Mike Knuble, John Carlson and Ovechkin scored in the second.

The momentum shifted suddenly on Stamkos' fourth goal of the playoffs. The sellout crowd of 20,613 had barely stopped celebrating when Malone -- camped to the right of Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth -- directed Nate Thompson's pass into the left corner of the net for a 4-3 lead with 14:13 remaining.

Dwayne Roloson, obtained from the Islanders at midseason, stopped 29 shots for the Lightning.

The Capitals outshot the Lightning 13-8 in the first period, but Roloson stopped a couple of point-blank shots, and Washington cost itself a power play and early lead when it was penalized for having too many men on the ice.

A little more than three minutes after an apparent goal by Knuble was waved off, Bergenheim scored his second of the series -- fifth of the playoffs.

Canucks 3, Predators 2: Ryan Kesler scored on a power play 10:45 into overtime in Nashville, as Vancouver took a 2-1 lead in the series. Kesler also scored on a power play in the second period. Fans in the sellout crowd reacted angrily to the winning goal, throwing towels and other debris onto the ice.-- AP