Washington Capitals open up 2-0 lead with pair of one-timers (Video)

The Washington Capitals got off to a fast start in Game 3 of their playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Washington Capitals got off to a fast start in Game 3 of their playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with two goals in the first five minutes.

Washington defenseman Nate Schmidt cut into the Toronto zone, beating the Maple Leaf defenseman Jake Gardiner to the goal line. Gardiner made a minimal effort on the puck not expecting the pass. The Leafs’ defenseman expected Schmidt to go around the net, or for his defensive partner to make a play on the pass. Instead, the puck went right to Capitals’ center Nicklas Backstrom who one-timed it passed Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen.

The Backstrom goal happened just 2:43 into the period, dampening the excited Toronto crowd. A little over two minutes later, the Capitals doubled their lead. Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin scored his second of the series. Ovechkin’s goal was from a very similar spot on the ice to his first goal in the series. The Russian winger received a pass from Backstrom just above the face-off circle to the right of Andersen. Ovechkin blasted the one-timer passed the Danish goalie’s glove and into the top left-hand corner.

The early two-goal lead allowed the Capitals to silence the Toronto crowd within the first five minutes. The Toronto crowd was expecting more in the team’s first home playoff game since 2013.

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Maple Leafs’ rookie center Auston Matthews cut the lead in half for Toronto. The first overall pick scored with just under six minutes remaining in the period to reignite the home fans inside of the Air Canada Centre.