Stanley Cup Playoffs: Caps Take 3-2 Series Lead; Lighting Square Series With Wings At 2-2 After OT Win; Preds, Canucks Stay Alive, Cut Respective Series Deficits To 3-2

Four games were contested as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Thursday.

All times Pacific.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At Washington:

Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice as the Washington Capitals defeated the visiting New York Islanders 5-1 in game five of their conference quarterfinal series.  The Capitals, who now lead three games to two, can finish off the Islanders with a game-five victory at Uniondale, Long Island on Saturday.  If that's the case, it would be the Islanders' final appearance at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (their home since 1972) before moving to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn next season.

At Detroit:

Tyler Johnson scored a pair of goals, including the game winner at 2:25 of overtime as the Tampa Bay Lightning squared their opening-round series with the Detroit Red Wings at two games apiece following their 3-2 road win in game four.



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Nashville, Tennessee:

Filip Forsberg delivered his first career hat trick (and the first in his team's postseason history) as the Nashville Predators avoided elimination with a 5-2 game-five home win over the Chicago Blackhawks, who still lead their conference quarterfinal series three to two, and who can still finish off the Predators with a game-six victory in Chicago on Saturday.

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Daniel Sedin scored the tie-breaking goal in the third period while Ryan Miller stopped 20 of 21 shots as the Vancouver Canucks stayed alive in their opening-round series with a 2-1 home win over the Calgary Flames.  Jonas Hiller played well in defeat, stopping 41 of 43 shots as the Flames can still oust the Canucks with a victory at home in game six on Saturday.