T.J. Oshie hat trick gives Capitals Game 1 win over Penguins

T.J. Oshie raised his arms in celebration and looked at referee Dan O'Rourke. Oshie was pretty sure he scored in overtime to complete a hat trick and one of the biggest games of his career.

Oshie's third goal of the night stood up after video review and the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Thursday night in Washington in an overtime thriller that was a classic start to the highly anticipated second-round playoff series between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

"That's kind of the stuff you dream about when you're a kid playing in the backyard by yourself is scoring the OT winner and getting a hat trick," Oshie said. "It was awesome. Great way to win."

Oshie's wraparound just barely crossed the goal line against the right pad of Pittsburgh's Matt Murray 9:33 into the extra frame. The call on the ice was a goal, and the NHL's situation room said video replay confirmed that the puck was completely over the line.

Murray, who made 31 saves but was beaten three times by Oshie and once by Andre Burakovsky, wasn't convinced.

"The ref called it a goal on the ice," Murray said. "I don't know how he could have possibly seen it from his angle. But I thought I had it, to be honest. I knew it was close, but I thought it never fully crossed the line. I thought it was close enough that it would be inconclusive."

To the Penguins, it was an inconclusive end to a fast game played at their blistering pace. Ben Lovejoy, Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bonino scored for Pittsburgh, which will try to even the best-of-seven series Saturday night in Game 2.

"The momentum shifts, the big hits, the goals, overtime, the big saves: This is what the playoffs are all about," Oshie said.

The spotlight was on Ovechkin and Crosby in their first meeting in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2009. Ovechkin assisted on Oshie's second goal and was denied on two breakaways, while Crosby was on the ice for three goals against and won 68 per cent of his faceoffs.

"I just make stupid plays, stupid moves," Ovechkin said about his failed breakaways. "Thanks God we won this game."

The Capitals won a playoff game that Braden Holtby allowed more than two goals for the first time since Game 5 against the Boston Bruins in 2012. The Vezina Trophy finalist was tested plenty but made a big stop on Phil Kessel in the final minutes of regulation.

Pittsburgh outshot Washington 45-35.

"I thought we did a pretty good job, generated some pretty good chances," Crosby said. "I thought we had some good looks and it was a fast-paced game back and forth, typical of a game this time of year."​