Crosby had an assist in his first game back and felt good, but the Penguins couldn't handle the Capitals' quick-strike offense in the third period that has made this series between the NHL's top two teams even more interesting.
Pittsburgh started off strong, as Carl Hagelin netted the game's first goal.
Ovechkin now has two goals and five points in the series.
Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead into the third period, but Washington tied it at 2:49 when Nicklas Backstrom and Burakovsky worked a give-and-go on the rush and Backstrom's wrister beat Fleury to the far side.
Pittsburgh leads the second-round series 3-1 and can eliminate Washington with a victory Saturday night.
We've reached the chess match phase of this series, and it's a testament the depths of both teams that they can trade bottom-six lineup changes involving some of the best forwards in hockey.
Ever since Trotz rolled into Washington almost three years ago, he has tried to help his players-and, by extension, a fan base perpetually stricken with Game 7-induced gastroenteritis-forget. The Caps checked Pittsburgh supremely well all night, suffocating the Pens, roughing up Sidney Crosby and holding Pittsburgh to only three shots on goal in the opening period and under 10 total shots until several minutes into the third period.
Two wins in elimination games later, and the Capitals have pushed all of that pressure back onto the Penguins.
"We're still in the same spot", Fleury said. There are areas we have addressed nearly daily, certainly game in and game out, where we know we can be better as a group and we work on that. They understand their ability again. If Fleury has sprung a leak, the Capitals have the talent from Ovechkin down to make him pay. His poor puck possession, coupled with a poor Malkin pass and a bad bounce or two, led to the first two Capitals goals of the third period in Game 5. The problem is that with how many shots they bleed every game it doesn't allow Fleury to have an off night. So he can't do that this whole series. There is no room for error so when Fleury is at.875 the team just isn't going to win.
On the day before the Washington Capitals faced elimination for the second consecutive game, coach Barry Trotz shared his expectations for what he wanted to see out of his team. "He's made save after save for us".
North Korea claims United States plotted to kill Kim Jong
The shelling marked the first North Korean artillery attack on South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea does not have a monopoly on demonstrating aggressive behavior in the conflict, however.
The series will now be settled in a decisive Game 7 in Washington on Wednesday.
"They know way more about it than the rest of us do".
The Caps forced a Game 7 with a dominant 5-2 win in Pittsburgh on Monday. I don't think we did. He lamented some struggles for his line, but expressed no concerns about his health.
Sullivan said Crosby was not evaluated for a concussion, and Crosby said he had the wind knocked out of him. "There were some chances there". "To a man, we weren't good enough". Milbury was right about one thing in his intermission rant: Ovechkin is running out of time.
Vesey pulled the Rangers in front 4-3 with his first career playoff goal when he pounced on a rebound of Brady Skjei's shot.
"You think I ever feel tight?" he said.
There are two schools of thought on how to score on a high-volume shot-blocking team, and the Capitals have been trying to figure how to balance those philosophies.
For shits and gigs, Crosby feeds Guentzel on a 2-on-1 in garbage time to at least breakup Braden Holtby's shutout, and hey, maybe even just plant a seed for next game?
Nashville will play either Anaheim or Edmonton.
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