Los Angeles: Patric Hornqvist buried the overtime winner as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 to grab a 3-1 lead in their second round NHL play-off series on Wednesday.

Hornqvist took advantage of a blunder by Capitals defenceman Mike Weber to score the game winner. Weber, who was playing in his first game of the best-of-seven series, accidentally passed the puck backwards to Hornqvist, who beat Washington goalie Braden Holtby between the legs with a wrist shot.

“I just turned around and the puck showed up on my stick. I was just trying to shoot it. I sent it five hole and it is a nice feeling,” Sweden’s Hornqvist said.

Hornqvist scored his first career overtime play-off winner as the Penguins snapped an eight-game postseason overtime losing streak.

Pittsburgh continues to be one of the hottest teams in the league and now have won 21 of their last 25 games dating back to the regular season.

Penguins rookie goaltender Matt Murray made 34 saves, overcoming a Capitals goal less than three minutes into the game to win for the 13th time in his last 14 starts. The Penguins were without star defenceman Kris Letang, who was serving a one-game suspension.

Capitals goalie Holtby finished with 30 saves.

The Penguins now take their 3-1 lead into game five in Washington on Saturday as all four games in the series have been decided by one goal.

They are not taking their big lead for granted as they have lost 3-1 series lead to Tampa Bay in 2011 and the New York Rangers in 2014.

“We just have to keep playing the same way and get the puck deep into their end,” Hornqvist said.

“It wasn’t our best game but we hung in there.”

The host Capitals got the start they wanted as Jay Beagle scored on a backhander from a sharp angle just three minutes into the game to make it 1-0.

But instead of building on the momentum created by Beagle’s third goal of the play-offs, the Capitals allowed the Penguins to get back into it.

Penguins star Sidney Crosby went to the dressing room briefly in the third period after taking an Alex Ovechkin slash to his left wrist.

Crosby returned a few minutes later and drew a Karl Alzner high-sticking penalty at 16:22.