Bruins even up series

Boston takes Game 2 from Chicago in OT

CHICAGO — Daniel Paille scored in overtime and the Boston Bruins beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 Saturday to tie the Stanley Cup finals at one game apiece.

Boston center Chris Kelly gets in front of Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford.

The Blackhawks failed to clear the puck along the boards. Tyler Seguin picked it up and delivered a cross-ice pass to Paille, who beat Corey Crawford on his glove side for the winner at 13:48 of the extra period.

Game 3 is Monday at Boston.

It's the second consecutive year that the first two games of the finals have gone to overtime, this one coming after the Blackhawks won a triple-OT thriller 4-3 in Game 1.

Crawford and Boston's Tuukka Rask were outstanding in goal again after coming up big in the opener, turning away shot after shot in the extra period until Paille scored.

Jaromir Jagr just missed scoring the game-winner in the opening minutes of OT when his shot from the right circle hit the right post, his second near miss in as many games. Chris Kelly, who scored in the second period for Boston, had a shot from the slot stopped by Crawford at 5:39 of overtime.

Ovechkin named Hart Trophy winner
CHICAGO — Alex Ovechkin capped his great season with the NHL's biggest award.

The Washington Capitals right wing won his third Hart Trophy, given to the league's MVP, on Saturday night, beating out Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and John Tavares of the New York Islanders. Ovechkin led the NHL with 32 goals during the regular season, the first time he's led the league in scoring since 2009, when he won his second straight Hart Trophy.

"It was kind of hard, but as everybody knows, I like challenges," Ovechkin, who was moved to the right wing this season, said in taped remarks. "It was a big challenge for me and the coaching staff, but we make it."

Ovechkin is the eighth player to win three or more Harts, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Clarke, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Eddie Shore, and Howie Morenz.

The vote was expected to be close after Ovechkin and Crosby tied for fourth in the NHL with 56 points, despite the Penguins center missing 12 games with a broken jaw. And it was, with Ovechkin edging Crosby by just 32 points (1,090-1,058) in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. It was the closest Hart vote since Montreal's Jose Theodore and Calgary's Jarome Iginla finished in a virtual tie in 2002.

Crosby did, however, win the Ted Lindsay Award from his fellow NHL Players' Association members as the league's best player.

"I don't think you play throughout the season with awards in mind, to be honest," Crosby said. "To be recognized by the players for this one means a lot. The Hart, I was in the mix and to be that close, you'd love to win. ... [But] I'm not going to be too upset that I didn't win."

In other awards announced before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals, Montreal's P.K. Subban won his first Norris Trophy, given to the NHL's top defenseman. Subban topped the league's defensemen with 11 goals and 27 assists, and was largely responsible for Montreal's resurgence.

"I think that every year you grow as a player, both on and off the ice. I think as an organization, a group and a team we improved this year," Subban said. "When you improve, everybody benefits. I just think I benefitted from our improvement this year.

"Being a fan of the Montreal Canadiens since I was little kid and growing up a Habs fan, I appreciate being a leader for this organization."

Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets won the Vezina Trophy, given to the NHL's top goaltender.

Bobrovsky, who beat out Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks for his first Vezina, was the main reason Columbus was in the running for a playoff berth until the very end of the season. The Blue Jackets and Minnesota both finished with 55 points, but the Wild got the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference because of fewer non-shootout wins.

Bobrovsky finished 21-11-6, with a 2.00 GAA, .932 save percentage and four shutouts.

Florida's Jonathan Huberdeau won the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL's top rookie.

The Panthers center played in all 48 games for Florida, ranking second both on the team and among NHL rookies with 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists). Among first-year players, he finished third in goals, fourth in assists and third in shots on goal (112).

Griffins fall in Calder Cup’s Game 5
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Despite a sizeable advantage in shots, the Grand Rapids Griffins could not close out the Syracuse Crunch for the second time in as many nights.

The Detroit Red Wings Triple-A affiliate lost 5-2 to the Crunch in Game 5 of the American Hockey League’s best-of-seven Calder Cup series at Van Andel Arena on Saturday night.

Grand Rapids outshot Syracuse 42-21, but the Crunch scored at least once in every period, led by Ondrej Palat’s goal and two assists.

Tomas Tatar and Triston Grant scored for the Griffins in the loss while former Toledo Walleye Petr Mrazek finished with 17 saves.