NHL - Sharks @ Blues 2-3 OT - Tuesday, March 27, 2018

The St. Louis Blues moved into the first Western Conference wild card with a 3-2 overtime win against the San Jose Sharks at Scottrade Center.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored 2:33 into overtime to give the Blues (43-28-5) a season-high sixth straight win. They have the same number of points as the Los Angeles Kings and one more than the Colorado Avalanche in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Four of the Blues' wins during the streak have come in overtime.
"We just know we need the points," Blues center Brayden Schenn said. "We're getting good saves at key times, guys are playing defense, guys are stepping up, and then when we get the puck, we're going on the attack because we know we need the extra point."

The Sharks (44-23-10) had won eight in a row, which was tied for the third-longest streak in their history. Aaron Dell made 29 saves for San Jose, which is five points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division having played one more game. The Sharks defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in a shootout Monday.

"I think it's our fifth game in eight nights tonight, so I was real proud of our group," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. "A short bench, [forward Barclay] Goodrow went down a minute in, so I think he played for a minute. So we had a lot of factors going. I thought the guys dug deep and found a way to get a valuable point."

Vladimir Sobotka won a puck battle with Mikkel Boedker behind the Sharks net, and then fought off Justin Braun before making a backhand pass to Tarasenko through the crease. Tarasenko was able to score from a sharp angle.

"[Sobotka] is a strong guy and smart too," Tarasenko said. "It's always fun to play on the ice with him. Being with him on the 3-on-3, obviously great play and great pass."
Joe Pavelski scored a power-play goal, his 20th goal of the season, to give San Jose a 2-1 lead at 7:07 of the second period. Tarasenko tied it 2-2 with a power-play goal, his 30th goal of the season, at 12:03. Evander Kane put San Jose up 1-0 at 6:26 of the first period. It was his 14th point in 14 games since joining the Sharks on Feb. 26 after being acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres.

Sundqvist tied it 1-1 at 17:43. It was his first goal with the Blues in his 37th game, and second of his NHL career.

"Finally, that's what I thought," Sundqvist said. "I actually didn't see it go in before [Ivan] Barbashev raised his arms. It's always nice. It's been a long time since I scored."

* Tarasenko's goal at 2:33 of overtime.
* Dell's save on Schenn at 1:39 of the second period.* Tarasenko's goal at 12:03 of the second period.* Jake Allen made 22 saves for St. Louis and is 8-1-0 in his past nine starts. … Brent Burns, who had an assist on each San Jose goal, became the first Sharks defenseman to reach 50 in a season; he has 51 after 47 and 48 the past two seasons. … Goodrow sustained an upper-body injury in the first period and played 1:56. ... Sundqvist's goal was his first in 53 games; he scored April 2, 2016 with the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Islanders. ... Tarasenko has scored at least 30 goals in four straight seasons, the first Blues player to do that since Brett Hull in six straight seasons (1988-94). … The Sharks won nine in a row from Nov. 13 to Dec. 4, 2008 and 11 in a row from Feb. 21 to March 14, 2008."He's a good player. I thought he was going to go short side but he went far side and just made a good shot." -- Sharks goalie Aaron Dell on Vladimir Tarasenko's game-winning goal
"It's a desperate team on home ice, so definitely proud of the guys for hanging tough. We realized it's not going to be run and gun in the offensive zone all year long, so guys hung tough, blocked a few shots, and Dell made a lot of great saves for us and kept us in it. We would have liked to have a little better push too, but that's the way it went, and we get to overtime. We definitely deserved to get the extra point." -- Sharks center Joe Pavelski

"I didn't know what to do. Just a relief. It's been a long time." -- Blues center Oskar Sundqvist on his goal celebration

NHL - Blues @ Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 - Saturday, March 24, 2018

The St. Louis Blues defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 at Nationwide Arena to move into the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko scored, and Jake Allen made 33 saves for the Blues, who have won five games in a row and handed the Blue Jackets their first loss in 11 games.

St. Louis (42-28-5) and the Anaheim Ducks each have 89 points, but the Blues hold the second wild card because they have more regulation/overtime wins (39-34). They are one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the first wild card.

"It's complete desperation on our part, like the season's on the line, so the challenge for us is to make sure that doesn't change," St. Louis coach Mike Yeo said.

Cam Atkinson scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for Columbus (42-9-5), which is one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division.

"I couldn't care less that it's come to an end," Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said of their winning streak. "I'm disappointed we didn't get the two points. That's the part that stings. We're not going to let this one bother us too much."
The Blues were coming off a 4-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. The Blue Jackets defeated the Florida Panthers 4-0 on Thursday.
"We knew they were going to come," Steen said. "We had a plan for it. The big difference was [Allen] was tremendous."
Steen gave the Blues a 1-0 lead three minutes into the game on their first shot. He took a pass from behind the net by Patrik Berglund and scored from the right face-off circle.

Allen made 14 of his 33 saves in the first period. Atkinson had a goal disallowed at 3:25 because he kicked the puck. Allen has started nine straight games, including back-to-backs on consecutive weekends.

"I knew the week ahead I was going to play both games," he said. "Honestly, you have to prepare during the week because it's an extra start. A little more sleep, a little more rest."
Allen was on his game early, making a glove save on Markus Nutivaara on a backdoor play at 5:14.
"I knew where he was shooting. I just put my glove there," Allen said.
He then made the save against Artemi Panarin on a breakaway at 10:23 of the first.
"He's one of the best players in the League," Allen said. "He has a lot of moves in his bags of tricks. I tried to be patient. He's beaten me on the backhand before. I sort of stayed with it and stuck out my pad."
Tarasenko scored from the high slot at 9:37 of the second period to make it 2-0. It was his second goal in as many games since returning from an upper-body injury that caused him to miss two games. Bobrovsky kept it 2-0 with a save against Tarasenko on a 2-on-1 at 14:09 of the second period, and Atkinson made it 2-1 at 14:32 when his shot from above the circles on the rush got past Allen.
"I had a lot of chances. Of course, a fluky little shot went in," Atkinson said.Berglund was given a double minor for high-sticking Alexander Wennberg at 9:14 of the third, but the Blues got a break when Foligno was called for slashing Joel Edmundson 22 seconds into the Blue Jackets power play.
"That was our opportunity there," Atkinson said.

* Tarasenko's goal at 9:37 of the second period.
* Allen stopping Panarin at 19:57 of the third period.
* Atkinson's goal at 14:32 of the second period.
* Blues forward Jaden Schwartz extended his point streak to five games (two goals, four assists) with an assist on Tarasenko's goal. He has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 12 games. … St. Louis defenseman Jordan Schmaltz replaced Carl Gunnarsson, who is out for the season after tearing his left ACL against Vancouver. … Atkinson has five points (three goals, two assists) in a four-game point streak and 10 points (six goals, four assists) in eight games. … Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky had one shot on goal, two hits and one blocked shot in 5:59 after being a healthy scratch the previous two games."You don't beat a team like that in their building on a back-to-back night unless you have a lot of really good performances." -- Blues coach Mike Yeo
"You've got to give them credit for their checking in the third. We had enough chances. We just couldn't beat [goalie Jake Allen]." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella

NHL - Nashville Predators @ Buffalo Sabres 4-0 - Monday, March 19, 2018

The Nashville Predators defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-0 at KeyBank Center to extend their point streak to 15 games, the longest in their history.

Pekka Rinne made 35 saves for his 40th win, 11th straight, and his NHL-leading eighth shutout of the season.

"He's been the best goaltender in the League," defenseman P.K. Subban said. "There's a lot of great goaltenders in the League, but I don't think you have to look into his game much to see he's been the best at that position all season. We've got a great team, we play great team defense, but when he needs to make the big saves, he does. He's there and he's there every night for us."

Mike Fisher, Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Ryan Hartman scored for Nashville (48-14-10), which has clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth and leads the Winnipeg Jets by 10 points for first place in the Central Division.

The Predators have won four games in a row and are 14-0-1 in the past 15, passing their 14-game point streak (9-0-5) from Feb. 12-March 9, 2016.
"I think we were fortunate in the second period," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "The scoreboard went our way, but everything else went Buffalo's way in the second period. So, we're fortunate, we take it, and we move on and try to get better, which I thought we did."
Rinne is the seventh goalie in NHL history to win 40 games in a season three times.
"He's just so motivated, he's such a professional, and he's so motivated on this team and he's the reason we're where we're at in the standings," Johansen said. "He's been phenomenal for us all year; he's a man on a mission right now and he's really enjoying it and having fun. Every day, he's the leader in our room and he leads by example, and no one competes as hard as him on a daily basis. It's great to be his teammate and watch him play and have success this year."
Linus Ullmark made 28 saves in his second start of the season for the Sabres (23-37-12), who have lost three of four games (1-2-1) and were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday.
"Really happy with the way we played against the best team in the League at this point," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "Exactly the way we want to play. I thought we were fast. We were aggressive. ... We didn't seize our opportunities, but I can't fault the way our guys played."
Fisher gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 12:29 of the second period when he tipped a shot by Miikka Salomaki that had deflected off linemate Scott Hartnell. It was his second goal since coming out of retirement March 2.

Housley challenged for goaltender interference by Fisher, but the goal was upheld after video review. Johansen made it 2-0 at 17:03 when he put a loose puck off Sabres defenseman Casey Nelson's stick past Ullmark.

"Just an odd-man rush and [Forsberg] just whacking it over to me on the backside," Johansen said. "I just had to chip it in as quick as I could; nice to see that one squeeze in there."
Forsberg made it 3-0 at 16:09 of the third period when he scored on the rebound of a Viktor Arvidsson shot. Hartman made it 4-0 with 24 seconds remaining.

* Johansen's goal at 17:03 of the second period.
* Rinne stopping Jack Eichel at 4:06 of the first period.* Hartman's goal at 19:36 of the third period.* The Predators have a nine-game road winning streak and a 15-game road point streak (12-0-3), each the longest in their history. … The road team has won the past five games between the Predators and Sabres.
"I didn't know that. When you say that, it sounds pretty cool; those guys are legends of this game. They've done so much not only for the game of hockey but for the position of being a goalie. That's great. That's a credit to my teammates, big time, and also my coaching staff. Over the years, they've trusted me and let me play a lot of games." -- Predators goalie Pekka Rinne on joining Martin Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff, Braden Holtby, Evgeni Nabokov, Jacques Plante and Terry Sawchuk as goalies with three or more 40-win seasons in the NHL
"In the first couple periods, we played pretty solid. We got pucks behind them, had some looks behind them defending hard. But they stick to what they do and that's why they've had success for so many years. Gave them a couple looks in the third, they put them away, but they didn't deviate from their plan. That's why they've been getting results. … The first two periods were really good for us." -- Sabres forward Jason Pominville

NHL Playoffs Round 2 - Pens vs Washington Capitals - Pens Lose Series 4-2

Game 1 - Pens @ Washington Capitals 3-2 - Thursday, April 26, 2018
The Penguins scored three goals in a 4:49 span in the third period to rally for a 3-2 win against the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Capital One Arena. Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists, Patric Hornqvist had a goal and an assist, and Matt Murray made 32 saves for Pittsburgh.

Sidney Crosby had two points (one goal, one assist) and passed Jari Kurri for third-most multipoint games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (61).

Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist, Tom Wilson had two assists, and Braden Holtby made 22 saves for Washington, who led 2-0. Hornqvist scored to cut it to 2-1 at 2:59 of the third, redirecting Justin Schultz's shot from the point.

"It was just a big play by [Hornqvist] to get us going," Crosby said. "We had some good looks throughout the night. He goes hard to the net, makes a great play, and it jump-started us. When you're down, I think everybody's just on their toes trying to get ourselves back in it."

Crosby tied it 2-2 at 5:20. After receiving a cross-ice pass from Guentzel, Crosby beat Holtby five-hole from the right circle.
"I just think we complement each other well," Guentzel said. "We get on the forecheck and we're always around each other. Playing with Sid, it makes it pretty easy and opens up a lot of space for us. Just try to take advantage of it."
Guentzel gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead at 7:48, deflecting Crosby's shot along the left boards short side.
"They had good looks, we had good looks, but those three shifts changed the game," Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov said.

Murray made a blocker save on a rebound attempt by Capitals forward Brett Connolly at 17:31 to keep the score 3-2. Kuznetsov scored glove side on a breakaway 17 seconds into the first period to make it 1-0. Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead 28 seconds into the third period, beating Murray glove side from the left circle on a 2-on-1. With the goal, Ovechkin became the first player in Capitals history to have 100 points (52 goals, 48 assists) in the playoffs.

"We gave up some good chances and [Holtby] was really good early, but we played a pretty good game," Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen said. "They scored on Crosby's three shifts in a row in the third period to win the game. Otherwise, we played pretty good. I don't think you need to overanalyze that."

* Guentzel's goal at 7:48 of the third period.  

* Murray's save on at Connolly 17:31 of the third period. * Crosby's goal at 5:20 of the third period. * Guentzel leads the NHL with 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in the playoffs. He is the 10th player to have at least 16 points through his team's first seven postseason games, third with the Penguins (Mario Lemieux, 1992; Crosby, 2010). ... Crosby, who has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in the playoffs, trails Mark Messier (77) and Wayne Gretzky (108) for most multipoint games. … Washington has blown a two-goal lead in three of its four postseason losses. … Ovechkin has 10 points (six goals, four assists) in seven playoff games."Early on especially, you're just focusing on playing. You make adjustments as you go along, and so does the other team. So I think things will tighten up as the series goes along." -- Penguins captain Sidney Crosby
"[Holtby] was unbelievable today. You know, one mistake, one bad bounce and they're back in the game. That's it. Nothing you can say. It's over. We have to focus on our next game." -- Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin

Game 2 - Pens @ Washington Capitals 1-4 - Sunday, April 29, 2018

Braden Holtby made 32 saves for the Washington Capitals in a 4-1 win against the Penguins in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Capital One Arena. Alex Ovechkin, Jakub Vrana, Brett Connolly and Nicklas Backstrom scored for the Capitals.

Washington, who had a 2-0 lead in the first period, scored the first two goals for the fifth time in eight Stanley Cup playoff games, including a 3-2 loss to the Penguins in Game 1.

"We knew we let them back the last game," Backstrom said. "That was huge. That's what we wanted to do. That's a big win for us."
Kris Letang scored and Matt Murray made 28 saves for the Penguins.

Ovechkin scored at 1:26 of the first with a shot from the high slot to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead. The puck came off the stick of Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist on a rush up ice.

"They came out flying," Murray said. "We didn't have an answer for it."
Vrana finished a pass from Lars Eller with five seconds left on a power play to make it 2-0 at 14:54 of the first for his first playoff goal. The Penguins used a coach's challenge for goalie interference on the play, but the call on the ice stood.

Connolly scored after a stretch pass from Eller at 2:08 of the second for a 3-0 lead.

"We need to have a better start," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We need more pushback from the drop of the puck. Listen, we knew they were going to come out hard. We're up 1-0 (in the series) after the first game, we knew they were going to come out hard. We didn't match the urgency."
Holtby helped preserve the lead for Washington in the second period when it was outshot 16-6. He stopped Hornqvist, knocking the puck out of the crease with his stick at 10:56 and then stopped Guentzel's rebound chance with a pad save at the left post.
"I thought Braden was real solid all game," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "I thought he made some timely saves. He moved well. They were trying to make everything very difficult and he responded the way he always has."
Letang's point shot at 13:04 of the second made it 3-1.
The Penguins appeared to make it 3-2 at 9:03 of the third period when Hornqvist tucked a puck underneath Holtby. However, it was not ruled a goal on the ice and the call stood after a review.

Backstrom scored an empty-net goal at 19:53 of the third to make it 4-1.

Washington trailed 2-0 losing each game at home in its past two playoff series.
"We have a confident group, so we don't get that down," Holtby said. "We believe we can win any game no matter the circumstances. We focus on the task at hand and tonight that was Game 2. Game 1 was a long time ago."

* Connolly's goal at 2:08 of the second period.
* Holtby's save on Hornqvist at 10:56 of the second period.* Ovechkin's goal at 1:26 of the first period.* Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin left the game at 4:23 of the second period following a collision with Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. No penalty was called on the play and Dumoulin (upper-body injury) did not return. … Ovechkin scored his 53rd playoff goal, moving into a tie for 47th place on the NHL's all-time list (Bill Barber, Daniel Briere, Stephane Richer, Jeremy Roenick)."We have to do a better job of being more difficult to play against and limiting some of the chances they get. But having said that, we had a number of quality chances as well. At some point, we have to find a way to score goals. That's something we'll get to work on." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan
"We know that they've got guys that can hurt you. Game 1 it was tough, we played a really good game and they just kind of found a way to get some breaks and score some timely goals. I think we learned from that this time around, I think we weren't as loose, I think we were a little more solid as the game went on." -- Capitals forward Brett Connolly on holding onto a two-goal lead

Game 3 - Washington Capitals @ Pens 4-3 - Tuesday, May 01, 2018

Alex Ovechkin scored with 1:07 remaining in the third period to give the Washington Capitals a 4-3 win against the Penguins in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at PPG Paints Arena. Nicklas Backstrom carried the puck on a 2-on-1 before sliding a pass to Ovechkin, who tipped it off the right post. Ovechkin then batted the puck out of midair and past Matt Murray for his fifth goal during a four-game streak. 

"I hit the post, and it's a good thing I didn't raise my arms up. I finished up the play and got lucky," Ovechkin said. "It's a huge, huge goal. Obviously for our team, you know we want to win tonight and we did. It doesn't matter what, it doesn't matter who scored. We sacrifice, we play hard and we have to do the same moving forward."

Braden Holtby made 19 saves for his sixth win in seven starts this postseason.
"[The Penguins] had some extended zone time and they almost had some looks, and they were buzzing and they were making us defend," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "There are two good teams going at it right now and there wasn't much room. After two periods, there weren't a lot of shots. … Both teams were battling and pushing.
"This series is what it's going to be. It's going to be nose to nose, keep pushing for inches and working for inches. And it is a game of inches."

Murray made 18 saves. He is 5-4 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after going 27-9 in the previous two postseasons.

"I thought it was a pretty tight game for the most part," Murray said. "Not many shots either way, but every shot seemed to be a chance. It was just one of those kind of games where it could've gone either way. So obviously there's room to improve, but I think for the most part we played a pretty solid game."
After John Carlson gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead 48 seconds into the second period, Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist scored 2:16 apart to put the Penguins ahead 2-1. Guentzel tied it 1-1 at 4:33 of the second when he redirected Justin Schultz's shot. The goal was Guentzel's second of the series and eighth of the playoffs.

Hornqvist made it 2-1 on a power play at 6:49. Evgeni Malkin, who returned after missing three games with a lower-body injury, passed around Dmitry Orlov into the crease, where Hornqvist batted the puck into the net. The Capitals killed 24 straight penalties before the goal. Chandler Stephenson scored from the left circle on a one-timer at 11:04 of the second period to make it 2-2. Sidney Crosby gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead at 16:27 of the second period. Guentzel stickhandled between Orlov's skates and passed to Crosby in the right circle.

"We played well. We didn't give them a lot," Crosby said. "We've got to make sure we stay out of the box and don't give them a chance on the power play. Other than that, we did some really good things, I thought. Every line was creating pressure and chances. It was just one of those nights where any little breakdown, they capitalized."

Matt Niskanen tied it 3-3 at 5:06 when his slap shot bounced into the net off Murray's glove. The Capitals outshot the Penguins 10-3 in the third period.

* Ovechkin's goal at 18:53 of the third period.

* Holtby's save against Brian Dumoulin at 9:26 of the third period.* Crosby's goal at 16:27 of the second period.* The Capitals are 4-0 on the road in the playoffs. They are 2-3 at home. … Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese left at 9:47 of the second period after a dirty hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson. Sullivan said Aston-Reese has a broken jaw and a concussion, and will need surgery on his jaw. The scumbag Wilson, was seen laughing about it afterwards on the bench, and we can only hope someone does the same to him one day. … Kris Letang's assist on Crosby's goal tied him with Larry Murphy for the most assists by a defenseman in Penguins playoff history (57)."It's a big win. It was tough sledding out there tonight. It was a physical game. We battled hard and showed a lot of character to come back in the third. ... The guys played really hard. We earned that one." -- Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen
"It's hard to win in the playoffs. No one knows it better than this team. We played a hard-fought game tonight. That game could've went either way. We have to make sure we put it behind us and we look to the next game and try to put our best game forward." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan

Game 4 - Washington Capitals @ Pens 1-3 - Thursday, May 03, 2018
Evgeni Malkin scored the tiebreaking goal for the Penguins in a 3-1 win against the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at PPG Paints Arena.
Malkin gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead on the power play at 17:31 of the second period. It was his first goal of the series after not playing in Games 1 and 2 because of a lower-body injury. After getting the rebound of Patric Hornqvist's initial shot, Malkin shot it off the left post and the rebound went along the goal line behind Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby before Malkin dove and pushed it into the net.

"It's not me. It's [Hornqvist]," Malkin said. "He's unbelievable. He stayed in front. … It's unbelievable. I see right away the right side and try to shoot quick, like how I can, and get the puck to go in. It's not from me, it's all [Hornqvist]."

To play was reviewed to determine if the puck crossed the goal line. Capitals coach Barry Trotz then challenged for goaltender interference, and the call was upheld after a video review.
"When I stayed on the ice, I thought it was no goal," Malkin said. "I didn't see the puck cross the line. I got so mad because it's a good chance to score, but after, there's a replay and it's in. It gives me a little more confidence, and I'm glad. I had a great chance last game and it hit the post again. This game is crazy, but it's good like that."

Jake Guentzel scored twice, Sidney Crosby had two assists, and Matt Murray made 20 saves for Pittsburgh, which had lost two in a row. T.J. Oshie scored, and Holtby made 21 saves for Washington.

Guentzel gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 9:21 of the second period. After Dominik Simon's shot in the slot was blocked by Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen, Guentzel got the puck and scored near the right post.
"[Guentzel is] doing a great job," Crosby said. "I don't think there's any denying that. He works hard. He does a lot of good things with and without the puck. I think he cares more about the wins more than the goals and assists. So he's been a big part of our team's success."
Guentzel leads the NHL with 10 goals and 21 points in the playoffs.

"I mean, just kind of feel like the [pucks] are going in right now and the puck is finding me," Guentzel said. "Just got to try and be around it."

Oshie tied it 1-1 at 12:55 with a power-play goal on a one-timer in the slot off a pass by Nicklas Backstrom.
"We feel positive," Oshie said. "The game ended about seven minutes ago, so you're still a little upset right now, but we'll regroup here. I'm sure we'll look at some film, see what areas they exploited on us and what areas we can take advantage of on them."
Guentzel scored an empty-net goal on the power play to make it 3-1 with 58 seconds remaining in the third period.

* Malkin's goal at 17:31 of the second period.
* Murray's save on Dmitry Orlov at 10:49 of the third period.* Guentzel's goal at 9:21 of the second period.* Washington had three shots on goal in the third period. … Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin did not have a shot on goal. He scored five goals during a four-game goal streak entering Thursday. … Capitals forward Tom Wilson did not play after being suspended three games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head on Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese at 9:38 of the second period in Game 3. Devante Smith-Pelly replaced Wilson on the first line. … Penguins forward Carl Hagelin returned after missing three games with an upper-body injury. He had two shots and two blocks in 16:11 of ice time."I just think [Guentzel] is a real good hockey player. He's competitive. I think he embraces the important moments. … It isn't anything that he hasn't done before." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan
"There was a lot we liked about our game. They're a puck away from being in the lead or a puck away from getting it tied up. We did a lot of good things." -- Capitals coach Barry Trotz

Game 5 - Pens @ Washington Capitals 3-6 - Saturday, May 05, 2018
The Washington Capitals scored four goals in the third period to rally for a 6-3 win against the Penguins in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Capital One Arena. After Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby made a pad save on Brian Dumoulin from in front, Jakub Vrana scored into an open net at 15:22 of the third off a pass from Alex Ovechkin to give Washington a 4-3 lead.

"I try to stay cool. [Ovechkin] made a great play there," said Vrana, who had a goal and two assists. "He just put it in front of the net. I was driving the net hard, trying to get the rebound. … Those little inches, sometimes they just kind of win you the game."
Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and two assists, T.J. Oshie had a goal and an assist, and Holtby made 36 saves for Washington. Sidney Crosby, Patric Hornqvist and Jamie Oleksiak scored, and Matt Murray made 26 saves for Pittsburgh.

The Capitals lead the best-of-7 series 3-2 with Game 6 at Pittsburgh on Monday. Washington would advance to the Eastern Conference Final and eliminate the defending Stanley Cup champion with a win.

"Your desperation level is a little higher," Crosby said. "You're aware of the situation and that brings out the best in everybody. We knew it was going to be a tight series. We need to make sure we leave it all out there, give ourselves a chance to get back here."
Kuznetsov scored 52 seconds into the third period on a breakaway off a stretch pass from Vrana to tie it 3-3. Oshie scored into an empty net at 18:29 to make it 5-3 before Lars Eller extended it to 6-3 with an empty-net goal at 19:54.

Oleksiak gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead at 2:23 of the first period, scoring on a shot from the point past a screened Holtby. John Carlson tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 18:22. Brett Connolly scored 33 seconds later to make it 2-1, beating Murray five-hole after his shot in the high slot was deflected by Hornqvist.

Crosby tied it 2-2 at 4:43 of the second period on the power play, deflecting Phil Kessel's shot under Holtby's arm. Hornqvist scored a power-play goal at 7:45 on a rebound at the right post to make it 3-2. Washington has not reached the conference final since 1998.

"Tonight was one of those games where we needed to earn it from our fans," Holtby said. "They probably think 'Here we go again,' and we're not thinking that. We're thinking we're pushing forward, we're focusing on the moment, and hopefully we gave them belief with that third period because this group in here believes in ourselves."

* Vrana's goal at 15:22 of the third period.
* Holtby's save on Dumoulin at 15:13 of the third period.* Kuznetsov's goal 52 seconds into the third period.* Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom left at 6:48 of the third period with an upper-body injury. Capitals coach Barry Trotz said he will be re-evaluated Sunday. … The Penguins had not allowed six goals in a game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since Game 2 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins (a 6-1 loss). … Vrana is the fourth rookie in Capitals history to get three points in a postseason game, joining Sergei Gonchar (Game 1 of 1995 Conference Quarterfinal), Richard Zednik (Game 3 of 1998 Conference Final), and Kuznetsov (Game 5 of 2015 First Round)."There was a whole lot of this game that we really liked. It might have been our best game of the series and we didn't come out with the result we were looking for. But I know our group is capable and our players know that as well." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan 
"I don't know if I could tell you exactly what it would mean. None of us have ever been there. We're just looking to get the job done and maybe after we can talk about the feelings. But right now, we've still got a lot of work to do." -- Capitals forward T.J. Oshie on the Eastern Conference Final

Game 6 - Washington Capitals @ Pens 2-1 OT - Monday, May 07, 2018
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored at 5:27 of overtime, and the Washington Capitals advanced to the Eastern Conference Final with a 2-1 win against the Penguins in Game 6 of the second round at PPG Paints Arena. Alex Ovechkin passed to Kuznetsov, who split the defense before beating goaltender Matt Murray five-hole on a breakaway. Kuznetsov had four points (two goals, two assists) in the past two games.

"I see [Kuznetsov] was over there and I just put the puck in space and he did what he does best," Ovechkin said. "It feels great. Never been this position before and I'm looking forward to [the conference final]."

The Capitals, who lost to the Penguins in the second round in each of the previous two Stanley Cup Playoffs, will play the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first conference final since 1998.

"We believe in each other," Ovechkin said. "It doesn't matter what happened [in the past]. We have to stick together. We knew it was there. We just had to battle, and we just had to fight through it. Again, great feeling right now and we're going forward."

Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom did not play with an upper-body injury he sustained in the third period of Game 5. Lars Eller replaced him on the second line. Backstrom is day to day. … Capitals forward Travis Boyd had one shot and two blocks in 12:12 of ice time in his NHL playoff debut. … Crosby, who had an assist on Letang's goal, has 185 playoff points (66 goals, 119 assists), tying Steve Yzerman for 10th all-time. … Washington won a playoff series against Pittsburgh for the first time since the 1994 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (2-9).

Alex Chiasson scored, and Braden Holtby made 21 saves for Washington.
Kris Letang scored, and Murray made 28 saves for Pittsburgh, which was the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion and lost for the first time in five games when facing elimination since hiring coach Mike Sullivan on Dec. 12, 2015.
"I think sometimes we all learn more from our failures than we do our successes," Sullivan said. "I think this group knows how hard it is to win in the playoffs. All the teams are really good. There's a fine line between winning and losing. We haven't tasted this in a long time, and that's a credit to the group of players that is in that dressing room."

Chiasson gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 2:13 of the second period. Nathan Walker skated the puck behind the net before passing to Chiasson, who beat Murray short side on a one-timer from the right circle. The goal was Chiasson's first point in the playoffs (12 games) and first since 2014 when he played for the Dallas Stars. With the assist, Walker became the first Australian to get a point in the playoffs. Jakub Vrana had an opportunity to extend the lead to 2-0 on a partial breakaway at 6:17, but Murray made a blocker save on his wrist shot. Letang tied it 1-1 with a slap shot from the point that deflected off Chandler Stephenson's stick and past Holtby's blocker at 11:52 of the second.
Sidney Crosby had a chance to give the Penguins the lead when he deflected a pass from Bryan Rust on goal 17:26 of the third period. Holtby made the save on Crosby's initial shot and Patric Hornqvist missed on the rebound.
"It's hard to get there, regardless of winning two years prior," Crosby said. "I know everyone talked about [winning a third straight championship], but just getting in there and how hard it is, especially with the group we have, a lot of the same guys that have been together for a couple of them, that's what you play for. It's the best time of year. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it done."

* Kuznetsov's goal at 5:27 of overtime.
* Holtby's save on Justin Schultz with seven seconds left in the second period.* Letang's goal at 11:52 of the second period.* Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom did not play with an upper-body injury he sustained in the third period of Game 5. Lars Eller replaced him on the second line. Backstrom is day to day. … Capitals forward Travis Boyd had one shot and two blocks in 12:12 of ice time in his NHL playoff debut. … Crosby, who had an assist on Letang's goal, has 185 playoff points (66 goals, 119 assists), tying Steve Yzerman for 10th all-time. … Washington won a playoff series against Pittsburgh for the first time since the 1994 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (2-9)."This group has been resilient. … The great thing about this is all day I knew we were going to win. I don't know why, but this group has a lot of resiliency. And first of all, there are some great champions in that other room, great players. What they've done and accomplished the last couple years is pretty remarkable. This is a tough league." -- Capitals coach Barry Trotz
"They were just the better team. I thought they played a heck of a game tonight. It didn't feel like we really had many chances at all. They're a great team and they showed it. They deserved to win tonight." -- Penguins goalie Matt Murray