Caps Knot Series, Ducks Advance

(AP) — Washington hockey fans are breathing a bit easier as the Capitals head home tied 2-2 in their Stanley Cup first-round series against the eighth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs.

Tom Wilson scored twice in a 2:23 span late in the first period to lead the Caps to a 4-1 lead in a 5-4 win at Toronto. T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin tallied in the first 4:34 to put the Caps in front 2-0. The Maple Leafs drew within 4-3 on Auston Matthews' goal with eight minutes left, but Oshie gave the Capitals breathing room just 59 seconds later.

Braden Holtby stopped 30 shots for the Capitals, who host Game 5 on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks have become the first team to advance to the second round by polishing off a four-game sweep of Calgary.

John Gibson handled 36 shots and the Ducks scored a pair of early goals to beat the Flames, 3-1. Patrick Eaves and Nate Thompson scored 68 seconds apart to make it a 2-0 game less than seven minutes into the first period.

Gibson blanked the Flames after Sean Monahan tallied late in the second period.

Elsewhere in the Stanley Cup playoffs:

— Minnesota avoided a four-game sweep as Devan Dubnyk turned back 28 shots in a 2-0 shutout of St. Louis. Charlie Coyle's unassisted goal put the Wild ahead late in the opening period. Martin Hanzal also scored to help the Wild bring the series back to St. Paul for Game 5 on Saturday.

— Craig Anderson stopped 22 shots and the Ottawa Senators took a three-games-to-one lead in their opening-round series by blanking Boston, 1-0. Bobby Ryan scored early in the third period to put the Senators in position to wrap up the series at home on Friday. Tuukka Rask made 26 saves for the Bruins, who had a first-period goal disallowed when video replay showed Noel Acciari was offsides.