PITTSBURGH — Patric Hornqvist and Tom Kuhnhackl scored a minute apart in the first period, Matt Murray stopped 47 shots and the Pittsburgh Penguins took control of their Eastern Conference semifinal with a 3-2 win in Game 3 on Monday.

Carl Hagelin added his third goal of the playoffs for Pittsburgh, which took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series on another contentious night guaranteed to keep the NHL player safety office busy. Two days after Washington’s Brooks Orpik earned a three-game suspension for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh’s Olli Maatta, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang took a shot at Capitals forward Marcus Johansson sure to be reviewed before Wednesday’s Game 4.

Alexander Ovechkin and Justin Williams scored in the third, but the Capitals find themselves in a deficit against a franchise they have beaten just once in eight previous playoff meetings.

The Penguins were hardly crisp but turned Washington mistakes into goals while Murray did the rest. The 21-year-old rookie outplayed Vezina Trophy finalist Braden Holtby to move Pittsburgh within two wins of a spot in the conference finals.

Playing with urgency, the Capitals outshot Pittsburgh 49-23 and outhit the Penguins 58-25. But it hardly mattered.

The NHL’s best team during the regular season has just one goal in the last six periods against Murray, who is playing so well Marc-Andre Fleury – who dressed for the first time since suffering a concussion on March 31 – might want to get used to the view on the bench.

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Wearing the same Pittsburgh gold uniforms that team owner Mario Lemieux wore during the club’s consecutive Stanley Cup runs in 1991 and 1992 – runs that included victories over Washington – it seemed like old times for the Penguins. The defense in front of Murray was steady even with Derrick Pouliot making his playoff debut while replacing Maatta.

NOTES

CAPITALS: Orpik says he has no problem with the three-game suspension the NHL levied on him for making contact with Maatta’s head in Game 2 on Saturday night.

Orpik called the decision “fair” while speaking to reporters following Washington’s morning skate on Monday ahead of Game 3.

CALDER FINALISTS: Edmonton forward Connor McDavid, Philadelphia defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and Chicago forward Artemi Panarin are the finalists for the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s top rookie of the year.

The 19-year-old McDavid had 16 goals and 32 assists despite missing much of the season due to a broken collarbone, living up to his hype as the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft.

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Gostisbehere led rookie defensemen with 17 goals and 29 assists in 64 games.

The third-round pick from the 2012 draft scored four overtime goals, matching a single-season record for a defenseman.

Panarin, 24, led all rookies with 30 goals and 47 assists in 80 games.

RANGERS: The Rangers agreed to a deal with backup goalie Antti Raanta.


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