The 26-year-old Swedish forward also scored in the third period to tie the game and force overtime in the best-of-seven National Hockey League playoff series.

«This is the playoffs. It’s going to be tight, it’s never going to be an easy ride,» said Johansson. «But I think it’s good for us where we got a start where everything didn’t go smoothly.

«You kind of get right into it, and you have to work hard for it and battle for it.»

The Capitals will face Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday in second round action while the New York Rangers battle the Ottawa Senators in the other Eastern Conference series.

On the game-winner, Johansson knocked in the puck after Justin Williams got it to the front of the net.

It was the fifth game of the series to be decided in overtime and all six were decided by one goal.

American rookie Auston Matthews scored for Toronto early in the third period by deftly balancing a rolling puck on the blade of his stick and lifting it into the top corner.

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