Stanley Cup Playoffs : Capitals Beat Devils to Force 7th Game

Scott Stevens set up four goals, including the go-ahead score by Dale Hunter in a three-goal first period, as the Washington Capitals routed the New Jersey Devils, 7-2,Thursday night and evened the Patrick Division final series at 3-3.

With the victory, the Capitals forced a seventh game at the Capital Centre Saturday night. The winner will open the Wales Conference finals Monday night at Boston against the Bruins, the Adams Division winners.

Washington’s victory marked the fourth time this year that the Capitals have avoided elimination from the playoffs. The Capitals rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Philadelphia in the opening round. Before this year, the Capitals were 0-5 when facing elimination.

Claude Loiselle gave the Devils a 1-0 lead 18 seconds into the game, but Washington goaltender Pete Peeters--returning after missing Game 5 due to a concussion--stiffened and the Capitals came back with three goals for a 3-1 lead after the first 20 minutes.

Mike Ridley tied the game when his flip pass from the side of the net went in off Devil goaltender Sean Burke’s stick at 6:40.

Hunter gave the Capitals the lead when he lifted the rebound of a shot by Stevens from the left point over Burke at 13:07.

Steve Leach made it 3-1 when he scored on a 25-footer from the slot at 17:03. The Capitals made it 4-1 when Yvon Corriveau intercepted a Randy Velischek’s cross-rink pass at center ice, went in alone and beat Burke from 15 feet at 10:43 of the second period. Dave Christian knocked in Mike Gartner’s rebound at 17:48 for a 5-1 lead.

Kelly Miller’s short-handed goal at 5:25 of the third period, also set up by Stevens, made it 6-1. New Jersey’s David Maley added a goal at 7:21 before Gartner’s power-play goal with 1:28 left completed the scoring.

The two teams combined for 81 penalty minutes, giving them a playoff-record 676 for the series.