Caps Tear It Up In OT

May 26, 1998 / 12:34 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Defenseman Todd Krygier, who scored only two goals all season and didn't even play in 37 games, skated onto the ice at the start of an overtime shift and found Andrei Nikolishin's pass at his feet between the faceoff circles.

Krygier blasted a shot past Dominik Hasek's glove side 3:01 into the extra period, giving the Washington Capitals a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night and tying the Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece.

"I just came onto the ice," Krygier said. "And I was in the right place at the right time. It's definitely the biggest goal of my career. I wouldn't say that I come into these games expecting to score."

Krygier, who grew up playing street hockey in Buffalo, spent 10 games in the minors, sat out eight with an injury and was scratched for 19 others this season. In addition, he got in Washington coach Ron Wilson's doghouse when both were in Anaheim four years ago, but now he's finally made good.

"We sort of had a falling out at a game in Chicago," Wilson said. "I said, `You're off the hook for the Chicago incident."'

The victory, which snapped Buffalo's eight-game winning streak, was the first for the Capitals in a conference finals in franchise history. Washington was swept by Boston in its only previous appearance in 1990.

"You play stick hockey thinking you're going to get an overtime goal in the NHL playoffs," Krygier said. "It was a dream of mine."

Games 3 and 4 will be in Buffalo on Thursday night and Saturday.

President Clinton was at the game, sitting with Vice President Al Gore in Capitals owner Abe Pollin's box. Clinton was the first sitting president to attend an NHL game, but he left at the end of regulation and didn't see the game-winning goal.

While Washington celebrated, Buffalo complained that two of Washington's goals including the game-winner should not have counted. Replays showed Peter Bondra's skate was in the crease when he deflected in a goal in the second period, and the Sabres contended that icing should have been called on Krygier's goal.

"The first one, his skate was in the crease and the third one was icing," Buffalo right wing Matthew Barnaby said. "Clearly two of the goals should have been allowed, but that's part of the game. I'm sure we've had our breaks over the years, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Meanwhile, Buffalo needed a gift goal to get to overtime. The Capitals appeared to have the victory in hand until Esa Tikkanen deflected Barnaby's slapshot between goaltender Olaf Kolzig's legs and into his own net with 56 seconds remaining in regulation.

But the ensuing celebration fired up the Capitals.

"Barnaby was taunting our bench after the goal," Wilson said. "Our team wareally upset. We went out there with the intention of burying them right away."

The Capitals had taken the lead on Joe Juneau's goal with 5:54 to play, but, until Buffalo's tied the score, it appeared the hero would be Bondra for getting the best of Hasek with a goal that resembled a foul tip and a hefty shove that prodded the goaltender into a glove-throwing penalty.

With 4:40 to play, Bondra checked Hasek hard into the boards after the goalie had gone into the corner to clear the puck. Hasek angrily threw his glove across the rink at Bondra and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

"He seemed to get frustrated as the game went along," Kolzig said. "And we took advantage of that."

Earlier, Bondra's goal broke a long dry spell for the Caps against Hasek. On a power play with five seconds to go in the second period, the Slovak forward stood like a left-handed batter in front of the net and deflected Phil Housley's slapshot over Hasek's head. Hasek argued that Bondra's skate was in the crease which replays appeared to confirm but the goal was not reviewed by the replay official despite a request from Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff.

Supervisor of officials John D'Amico told a pool reporter after the game that referee Kerry Fraser had decided that Bondra was not in the crease.

"Which is the reason why he did not go upstairs," D'Amico said.

The goal tied the score 1-1 and ended a 175-minute, 27-second scoring drought against the Sabres, who shut out Washington in their last regular season meeting in March and in Saturday's 2-0 victory in Game 1. It was only the third goal of the playoffs for Bondra, who scored 52 during the regular season but has been hampered by ankle and head injuries.

Though they dominated the first period, the Capitals committed a vital defensive breakdown in the final two minutes to give the Sabres the opening goal. Dixon Ward intercepted Sergei Gonchar's clearing pass at the left point and made a nifty blind pass to Vaclav Varada, who was given enough room between the circles by defenseman Joe Reekie to wrist home his shot between Kolzig's legs.

It was the third goal of the playoffs for Varada, who had only five during the regular season.

The Capitals, who put the puck on net only 19 times in Game 1, came into the game vowing to take more shots and cut down on penalties. They did both: Their 10 shots in the first period broke a string of 14 single-digit shot periods, and Buffalo didn't have a power play in the first period.