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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- With the Anaheim Ducks bearing down on him all night, Jaroslav Halak couldnt relax for even a moment in front of the Washington Capitals net until the horn sounded on another victory. None of the Caps can afford to take many more breathers if they hope to make it back to the post-season. Alex Ovechkin scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Capitals kept up their playoff push with a 3-2 victory Tuesday night. Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer also scored for the Capitals, who have won three straight to pull into an eighth-place tie with Columbus for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They barely held off the Ducks, who threw 45 shots at Halak and pressed right up to the final seconds. "We cant worry about anything else thats going to happen except for our games," said Halak, who made 43 saves in his sixth consecutive start. "Right now, two points are all huge, any way we can get them." The Caps havent trailed during their winning streak. But even after Ovechkin scored his 46th goal early in a power play, they were in a nail-biter against Anaheim. "That was a huge game," Ovechkin said. "We prepared for it, and we were ready for it. We played one of the best teams in the league." Ovechkins goal was just the second in seven games for last seasons NHL MVP, but the Capitals need every goal and victory possible on their three-game California road trip. The Blue Jackets and Detroit, one point back in ninth place, both have two games in hand on Washington. Ben Lovejoy and Mathieu Perreault scored for the Ducks, who have lost four straight home games while falling out of first place in the overall NHL standings. Anaheim is still near the top of the Western Conference playoff race, but San Jose has caught the Ducks atop the Pacific Division standings. The teams meet Thursday at the Shark Tank. Jonas Hiller stopped 27 shots, but the Ducks have lost to the Capitals in each of their last four visits to Honda Center. "I think we had a lot of looks and were shooting the puck, but we werent getting to any loose pucks," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "You can make a million and one excuses, but were just not getting the job done." Washington hadnt visited Honda Center since Feb. 16, 2011, nine months before the Capitals fired Boudreau, who was hired by Anaheim two days later. "This was a big one for Bruce, and we all knew it," Lovejoy said. "I think we came out with a lot of passion. When were skating and playing tough hockey, we get our forecheck going, and we had that going tonight. We just werent able to put more than two in the net." Ward got his 21st goal on a fat rebound just 2:11 in, scoring in his third consecutive game. Lovejoy tied it 59 seconds later on an unobstructed slap shot set up by a terrible Washington line change. Brouwer scored on a power play in the final seconds of the first period for the Caps, getting his third goal in two games off another rebound. Anaheim generated nothing from a two-man advantage for 1:51 early in the second period, adding to the power-play woes of an otherwise powerful offensive club. The Ducks entered the game in a 2-for-42 slump in their previous 13 games, and they went scoreless in their first four chances against Washington. "At the end, it came down to the fact that our special teams werent special," Lovejoy said. Perreault, the former Capitals centre, put a wrist shot past Halak, who was thoroughly screened by Patrick Maroon, to tie it right after a power play expired early in the third period. But just 1:12 later, Nicklas Backstrom won a faceoff and John Carlson got the puck to Ovechkin, who put a typically vicious one-timer past Hiller. Stephane Robidas played more than 13 minutes in his debut for the Ducks, who acquired the veteran defenceman from Dallas two weeks ago for the playoff push. Robidas filled in for Cam Fowler, who missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. "It wasnt my best, but the first one is out of the way now," Robidas said. NOTES: Dustin Penner returned to Honda Center for the first time since Anaheim traded him to Washington on March 4. Penner had 13 goals and 19 assists in 49 games this season in his second stint with the Ducks, but was a frequent healthy scratch. ... Halak was in Anaheim with the Blues on Feb. 28 when he was traded to Buffalo, forcing him to leave Honda Center early while St. Louis faced the Ducks with a locker room attendant as their backup goalie. ... Boudreau won his first game against his former team when the Ducks beat the Capitals 3-2 on Dec. 23. Nike Air Force 1 Sale Uk . 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Nike Air Force 1 Cheap Sale . - Novak Djokovic beat John Isner 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-1 on Saturday to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open, where hell resume his longtime rivalry with Roger Federer.MADRID - Lionel Messi scored a hat trick to give Barcelona a 4-3 win at 10-man Real Madrid in an electrifying and contentious "clasico" match that kept the three-way Spanish league title race wide open. The result means Atletico Madrid now tops the table, with Madrid level on points in second and Barcelona a point behind in third with nine games remaining as the title race shapes up to be the closest in years. In a game that saw three penalties, a red card and a host of missed chances, Andres Iniesta set the tone by rocketing home an early opener, only for Karim Benzemas brace to put the hosts ahead by the 24th. The teams went into the break level at 2-2 after Messi slotted in an equalizer, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to re-establish Madrids lead with a 55th-minute penalty. But Messi scored a pair of penalties after that — including the 65th-minute equalizer after Sergio Ramos was sent off — to end Madrids 31-game unbeaten run stretching back to the last "clasico" in October. Atleticos 2-0 victory at last-place Real Betis earlier on Sunday means it leads Madrid on head-to-head with the city rivals level on 70 points. Barcelona is on 69 points. The high pace of play and buzzing atmosphere inside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium left little doubt this was a "clasico" with much at stake. Messi spotted Iniestas run down the left side seven minutes in and slid a perfect ball clear into the area for him to lift into the top of goal to kickstart the memorable match. Madrid winger Angel Di Maria troubled right back Dani Alves throughout, especially when he twice set up Benzema with crosses from the left side, with the France striker nodding home the fiirst in the 20th before controlling the second to smash a right-footed volley beyond Victor Valdes.dddddddddddd The goalkeeper got a glove to Benzemas opener but couldnt keep it out. The strengths and philosophies of each club were apparent as Barcelona looked to set the tempo through possession while Madrid always looked dangerous when breaking on the counter. Madrids defence nodded off when Neymar and Messis hopeful combination came to fruition and the Argentina star could equalize before halftime, with Benzema left ruing a number of missed chances that could have given Madrid control. Gareth Bales speed provided problems for Barcelona down the right, but Ronaldo was equally troublesome along the left and he was tripped by Dani Alves after the break to set up the penalty for his league-leading 26th goal that put Madrid back on top. However, eplays showed the contact had taken place just outside the penalty area. But Barcelona replied when Ramos was shown a straight red for tangling with Neymar and Messi stepped to equalize again. Benzema then came off as Madrid looked to defend the draw, with Barcelona patiently coming forward and Dani Alves sending a shot off the post in the 74th. Iniesta was then taken down by Xabi Alonso and Dani Carvajal in the area to set up the 84th-minute spot kick that Messi slotted home for his 21st goal of the season. Messi climbed to No. 2 on the Spanish leagues all-time scoring list with 235 goals, passing Hugo Sanchez. He also became the leading scorer in "clasico" matches with 21 goals, bettering the mark of 18 he shared with Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano. ___ Follow Paul Logothetis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulLogoAP ' ' '