The Washington Capitals have moved on to the Eastern Conference finals after a 2-1 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, taking the series 4-2. The Capitals have repeatedly stumbled in the postseason despite having one of the game's greatest goalscorers in Alex Ovechkin since 2005, and it seemed as though they had no answer for the Penguins at playoff time.

With three Presidents' Trophies to their name since the 2009-10 season, the Capitals have chronically underachieved in the postseason. Washington's last appearance in the conference final came in 1998, when the Capitals were swept in the Stanley Cup Final by the Detroit Red Wings.

Since then, it's been frustration for the Capitals. Monday went a long way to erasing that pain.

With the game deadlocked at 1-1 after 60 minutes, the Capitals and Penguins headed to overtime. It was the fifth time Washington needed extra hockey to decide a playoff game this season, with the Capitals splitting the previous four overtime games.

Pittsburgh's pedigree as two-time defending Stanley Cup champions defied them a little over five minutes into the extra period, as Sidney Crosby turned the puck over at the Capitals' blue line to allow a quick transition by Ovechkin. The Washington talisman quickly found teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov streaking down the ice and the ensuing breakaway resulted in the deciding goal, put right through the legs of Penguins goalie Matt Murray.

It wasn't just the end of a Capitals drought. The area has been starved for playoff success, with no Washington, D.C., team from the "Big 4" sports leagues having reached a semifinal since the last time the Capitals made it this far.

Needless to say, a lot of eyes are now on Ovechkin and his teammates. </s> It finally happened.

The Washington Capitals have moved on to the Eastern Conference finals after a 2-1 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, taking the series 4-2. The Capitals have repeatedly stumbled in the postseason despite having one of the game's greatest goalscorers in Alex Ovechkin since 2005, and it seemed as though they had no answer for the Penguins at playoff time.

With three Presidents' Trophies to their name since the 2009-10 season, the Capitals have chronically underachieved in the postseason. Washington's last appearance in the conference final came in 1998, when the Capitals were swept in the Stanley Cup Final by the Detroit Red Wings.

Since then, it's been frustration for the Capitals. Monday went a long way to erasing that pain.

NHL DRAFT 2018: SN's Mock 2.0 | Prospect rankings

With the game deadlocked at 1-1 after 60 minutes, the Capitals and Penguins headed to overtime. It was the fifth time Washington needed extra hockey to decide a playoff game this season, with the Capitals splitting the previous four overtime games.

Pittsburgh's pedigree as two-time defending Stanley Cup champions defied them a little over five minutes into the extra period, as Sidney Crosby turned the puck over at the Capitals' blue line to allow a quick transition by Ovechkin. The Washington talisman quickly found teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov streaking down the ice and the ensuing breakaway resulted in the deciding goal, put right through the legs of Penguins goalie Matt Murray.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS - YOUR WASHINGTON CAPITALS ARE HEADED TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/1l7Vs0AgFM — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 8, 2018

It wasn't just the end of a Capitals drought. The area has been starved for playoff success, with no Washington, D.C., team from the "Big 4" sports leagues having reached a semifinal since the last time the Capitals made it this far.

THE STREAK IS OVER. The #Caps are the first D.C. major sports team to reach the semifinals of their league in 20 years!



MORE: https://t.co/CjDYF1f49x pic.twitter.com/I1xOxI6xRL — NBCSports Washington (@NBCSWashington) May 8, 2018

Needless to say, a lot of eyes are now on Ovechkin and his teammates. </s> PITTSBURGH — Evgeny Kuznetsov's breakway goal 5:27 into overtime gave the Washington Capitals a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 on Monday night, and a berth in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 20 years.

Kuznetsov took a lead pass from Alexander Ovechkin and tucked the puck by Matt Murray to end Pittsburgh's two-year reign as Stanley Cup champions and propel the Capitals into the NHL's final four for just the third time in franchise history.

Braden Holtby stopped 21 shots for the Capitals, who will face Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals. Alex Chiasson scored his first playoff goal in four years during a taut, tight contest through regulation.

Kris Letang scored for the Penguins and Murray finished with 28 saves but couldn't close his legs fast enough to stop Kuznetsov's forehand flick from in close as Pittsburgh's bid at becoming the first team in 35 years to win three consecutive Cups came to an abrupt end. </s> PITTSBURGH — Evgeny Kuznetsov’s breakway goal 5:27 into overtime gave the Washington Capitals a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 on Monday night, and a berth in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 20 years.

Kuznetsov took a lead pass from Alexander Ovechkin and tucked the puck by Matt Murray to end Pittsburgh’s two-year reign as Stanley Cup champions and propel the Capitals into the NHL’s final four for just the third time in franchise history.

Braden Holtby stopped 21 shots for the Capitals, who will face Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals. Alex Chiasson scored his first playoff goal in four years during a taut, tight contest through regulation.

Kris Letang scored for the Penguins and Murray finished with 28 saves but couldn’t close his legs fast enough to stop Kuznetsov’s forehand flick from in close as Pittsburgh’s bid at becoming the first team in 35 years to win three consecutive Cups came to an abrupt end.

The Capitals played without centre Nicklas Backstrom, who was scratched due to a right hand injury suffered in the third period of Washington’s Game 5 victory. Forward Tom Wilson also sat for a third straight game while serving a suspension for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh’s Zach Aston-Reese in Game 2.

Washington spent the series saying its forgettable playoff history littered with squandered leads and blown opportunities — particularly against the Penguins — is not a factor. That this time is different. That this team is different. Twice the Capitals rallied in the third period to stun Pittsburgh, including a four-goal outburst in Game 5 that pushed them to the brink of their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 20 years.

That last step, however, has always been tricky. Four times previously during the Ovechkin Era the Capitals won three games in the second round only to come up short in Game 7.

The Penguins, by contrast, have been impossible to finish off since head coach Mike Sullivan took over in December 2015. Pittsburgh came in 4-0 in elimination games under Sullivan, including a 2-0 victory in Game 7 in Washington last spring on its way to a second straight title.

The stakes led to an unusually slow start for both before the Capitals broke through 2:13 into the second when Walker held off Pittsburgh’s Derick Brassard behind the Pittsburgh net and fed Chiasson in the right circle. Chiasson’s shot slipped under Murray’s left arm for his second career playoff goal and first in more than four years when he played for Dallas.

The deficit, however, hardly appeared to stoke the Penguins. Instead they continued to plod along, staying only one goal behind thanks in large part to the play of Murray. He stuffed Jakub Vrana on a breakaway to keep Pittsburgh’s hole from getting any larger and at about the game’s midway point, Sullivan had seen enough. He reshuffled the lines — putting Patric Hornqvist alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin alongside Phil Kessel — and the energy shifted immediately.

The score soon followed.

Crosby won a faceoff in the offensive zone and fed it to Letang, whose shot from the point Washington’s Chandler Stephenson and slipped by Holtby 11:52 into the second to tie it and set the stage for more drama in a series and a rivalry that continues to one-up itself spring after spring.

NOTES: Washington forward Andre Burakovsky missed his 10th straight game with an upper-body injury. … Crosby’s assist pushed his career playoff total to 185, tied with Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman for 10th most all-time. … Walker’s assist was the first ever in the playoffs by an Australian. </s> Capitals, Jets push Penguins and Preds to the brink

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Washington Capitals don't need a history lesson. Neither do the Winnipeg Jets for that matter.

The Capitals are well aware of their penchant for letting opportunity after opportunity slip away, frequently at the hands of Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

And just in case Alex Ovechkin and his teammates ever forget about their playoff missteps, they need only step in front of a camera or a microphone, where the same questions are posed year after year.

There's only one way to hop off the hamster wheel: close out the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins this week — preferably at the end of Game 6 Monday night (7 p.m., NBCSN) in Pittsburgh — to earn the franchise's first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 20 years.

"I don't know if I could tell you exactly what it would mean," Washington forward T.J. Oshie said.

"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 still got a lot of work to do."

Work that in the past has proven to be too much. Four previous times during the Ovechkin Era — including in 2009 and 2017 against Pittsburgh — the Capitals have won three games in the second round of the playoffs. It's that fourth one that's proven elusive.

No pressure or anything. All Washington has to do to produce a cathartic breakthrough is hand the Penguins their first series loss in 37 months.

Pittsburgh has never lost an elimination game under head coach Mike Sullivan, capturing a pair of Game 7s — including a 2-0 shutout in Washington in the second round — during its run to a second straight Cup last spring and rallying from a 3-2 deficit against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals two years ago.

"They know what it takes to win," Sullivan said. "They're not afraid of challenges and they embrace these types of situations."

To become the first team in 35 years to earn three consecutive titles, the Penguins don't really have a choice.

They were the better team for long stretches in Game 5 only to have the Capitals surge past them in the third period for a 6-3 win — the second time in three games Pittsburgh lost in regulation when leading after two, something it didn't do at all in the regular season.

No matter. Recovering quickly and moving forward has kind of been their thing under Sullivan. The Penguins are 17-5 following a playoff loss with Sullivan on the bench.

Pushing that number to 18-5 would send the series back to Washington and force the Capitals try to explain — again — how this time will be different.

"We knew it was going to be a tight series," Crosby said. "We need to make sure we leave it all out there, give ourselves a chance to get back (to Washington)."

At least the Capitals put themselves in position for playoff heartbreak. That's hardly the case with the Jets, who until a month ago had won exactly zero postseason games in their 18 years of existence and now find themselves one victory away from the Western Conference finals.

Winnipeg has never been this far. Ever. The Jets put themselves in position when they stunned Nashville by scoring four goals in the second period against Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne during a 6-2 romp in "Smashville" in Game 5, sending them home for Game 6 (9:30 p.m., NBCSN) with a chance to wrap up the series.

Not that the Jets want to talk about it.

"That's noise. It's kind of a distraction," Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler said.

"What we're focused on is what's given us success all year long, and that's just finding a way to win one hockey game. If we're able to do that, then when it's all said and done you're reflecting on the season and you'll think about what you were able to accomplish and the magnitude of the situation. But we can't make it bigger than a game."

The Predators, unlike the Jets, have been here before. They faced elimination in the first round against Anaheim in 2016 but came back to advance, triumphing in the crucible of Game 7 for the first time in franchise history in the process.

"It's pretty simple, we win we keep playing," Nashville forward Filip Forsberg said. "If we don't, we don't play anymore. Obviously that desperation level is going to be a determining factor for sure."

It's a feeling long familiar in Washington. The Capitals received a dose of good news on Sunday when coach Barry Trotz said center Nicklas Backstrom will travel with the team after leaving in the third period of Game 5 with an upper-body injury.

Whoever is on the ice will be forced to shoulder the weight of playoff failures, one Trotz is confident his team is finally ready to shrug off for good.

"I can tell you there's not a player, a coach, a trainer, ownership, (general manager) who is not trying to do everything they can to win this series," Trotz said. "Trust me. We're trying as hard as we can and at the end of the day that's all we can promise."

AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, and AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. </s> (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby (70) gets a hug from Chandler Stephenson (18) during a celebration following the game-winning goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov (92) during the overtime period in Game 6 of an NHL second-ro...

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) shakes hands with Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin (71) after the Capitals' 2-1 overtime win in Game 6 of an NHL second-round hockey playoff series in Pittsburgh, Monday, May 7, 2018. ...

(79) after Evgeny Kuznetsovs' game-winning goal during the overtime period in Game 6 of an NHL second-round hockey playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Monday, May 7, 2018. The Capitals won the game 2-1 to take the series, four...

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Washington Capitals kept trying to downplay their own forgettable playoff history, the one pockmarked with disappointment and despair. Still, they couldn't run from it.

No one bore the weight more than Alex Ovechkin. All the goals in the world - and the star forward is at over 600 and counting now - couldn't take the sting away from the endless cycle of postseason runs that ended far too soon.

"It's so hard to move forward some time," Washington coach Barry Trotz said. "It's always thrown in your face everywhere you turn. I know it's thrown in Ovi's face everywhere he turns and he's a great player in this league."

One who is finally headed to a conference final, with a team few expected to make it this far. The Capitals advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for only the third time since the franchise's inception in 1974 with a 2-1 overtime victory in Game 6 against Pittsburgh on Monday night, a victory secured by Evgeny Kuznetsov's breakaway 5:27 into the extra period .

"It feels like something is over," Kuzntesov said. "It's pretty hard to speak."

Maybe because - for now anyway - Washington's long-held role as playoff fodder for the Penguins is over. The Capitals beat Pittsburgh in the playoffs for only the second time in 11 tries by playing a disciplined style dictated by Trotz, one that focuses on responsibility at both ends of the ice.

The game-winning sequence began with Kuznetsov poking the puck away from Penguins star Sidney Crosby as Crosby tried to enter the Washington zone. The puck made its way to Ovechkin and he threaded a pass to a sprinting Kuznetsov, who beat Matt Murray to spark a celebration two decades in the making.

"I don't want to lie, it tastes a little bit better (beating the Penguins)," Kuznetsov said. "You know, I never focus on the history. I only focus game by game. It feels very nice. You keep playing hockey, it's unbelievable."

Washington went 1-1-1 against the Lightning in three regular season meetings, the last a 4-2 loss at home on Feb. 20. That was two long months ago, and the team that celebrated in an equal parts joyous and relieved dressing room on Monday night doesn't look like the one that was still searching for its legs in mid-winter.

Injuries forced the Capitals to put together a patchwork lineup that included a handful of rookies, such as Nate Walker, who became the first Australian to record a point in the playoffs when he set up Alex Chiasson's second-period goal.

"We did have our moment in the first period when we said 'Do we have five rookies playing tonight?'" Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said. "I thought our window had closed and we had an old team and we had five rookies. So our future remains bright and now we just have to focus on the third round."

Washington will do it with a resurgent Braden Holtby. Benched at the start of the playoffs in favor of Philipp Grubauer, Holtby heads to the conference finals playing some of the finest hockey of his career. He stopped 21 of 22 shots in Game 6 and is now 8-3 since Trotz put him back in the lineup.

"Obviously everyone knows the difficulties we had getting out of the second round," Holtby said. "But that doesn't make a difference in our main goal. Our main goal is still the Stanley Cup. The third round isn't the Stanley cup. We have to refocus now. We can enjoy it and use that energy as kind of a recharge for the halfway point and push full force into the next round because it's going to be a hard test."

One the Capitals believe they're finally ready to pass. The franchise has only reached the Cup once, getting swept by Detroit in 1998, long before Ovechkin, Holtby and Leonsis came on board. This is their best chance at the club, one they're intent on not squandering.

"We set goals every year," Leonsis said. "Make the playoffs. First round. Second round. Third round and win a championship. So we're trying to check them off. It's almost embarrassing that it's taken this long for us to get past it."

Now that they have - at last, becoming the first professional team in the nation's capital to reach a conference final since the '98 Capitals did it - they're eager to shed the past. It's over and done. The future - and the Lightning - await.

"We beat the Pittsburgh Penguins today and they're a hell of a hockey team and we're only halfway," Trotz said. "We haven't done anything yet."

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> The Washington Capitals are on the brink of their first conference championship round berth since 1998, with a 3-2 series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While Monday's Game 6 matchup in Pittsburgh has the potential to make franchise history, it also has the chance to break a citywide curse that has affected teams for just as long.

It would appear that the Caps are in prime position to advance. But D.C. sports fans have been down this road before.

Since the Caps' 1998 run, the District's four major pro sports teams have been one round away from the conference finals 15 times and fallen short every time. Even worse is that they're 0-13 in games with a chance to clinch a spot in the conference finals.

The Washington Post ran the numbers last year and found that in the then-19-year span, there have been 74 champions crowned, 74 runners-up and 148 losing semifinalists in MLB, the NFL, the NBA and the NHL. Not a single one of those teams was from D.C. Those numbers in the now-20-year span are 78, 78 and 156.

Among the big four teams, the Caps lead the city in series-clinching game losses with six, then it's the Nationals (four), the Redskins (two) and the Wizards (one).

The Wizards had the most recent opportunity in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference second-round matchup against the Boston Celtics in 2017. That team last reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1978.

Penguins vs. Capitals: 10 most memorable (and forgettable) moments in playoff rivalry

Naturally, the Capitals' chance to break the streak is an uphill battle against the Penguins — who they have not beaten since 1994.

Even if Washington does somehow overcome Pittsburgh, there's no guarantee the season would end in hardware, as the team would have to face Tampa Bay in the next round. The Lightning are listed at 5/8 odds to win the Eastern Conference and 5/2 odds to win the 2018 Stanley Cup as of Monday, per Vegas Insider.

But maybe that'll be enough for some Washington sports fans. Maybe finally achieving these postseason heights will bring joy to people who have experienced nothing but misery and heartbreak over two decades.

The accomplishment should be worth something, but the hope required to get behind it might not be worth the effort. </s> After decades of heartbreak, the Washington Capitals are finally celebrating a championship.

The Capitals on Thursday night won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5.

Washington entered the third period in Las Vegas down 3-2, but a pair of unanswered goals in the final period... </s> (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) has a shot stopped by Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL second-round hockey playoff series in Pittsburgh, Monday, May 7, 2018.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby (70) stops a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins' Phil Kessel (81) during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL second-round hockey playoff series in Pittsburgh, Monday, May 7, 2018.

(3) for a goal during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL second-round hockey playoff series, Monday, May 7, 2018. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Washington Capitals' Alex Chiasson (39) gets the puck past Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) an...

(59) during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL second-round hockey playoff series against the Washington Capitals in Pittsburgh, Monday, May 7, 2018. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang (58) celebrates his goal with Brian Dumo...

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Evgeny Kuznetsov's breakway goal 5:27 into overtime gave the Washington Capitals a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 on Monday night, and a berth in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 20 years.

Kuznetsov took a lead pass from Alexander Ovechkin and tucked the puck by Matt Murray to end Pittsburgh's two-year reign as Stanley Cup champions and propel the Capitals into the NHL's final four for just the third time in franchise history.

Braden Holtby stopped 21 shots for the Capitals, who will face Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals. Alex Chiasson scored his first playoff goal in four years during a taut, tight contest through regulation.

Kris Letang scored for the Penguins and Murray finished with 28 saves but couldn't close his legs fast enough to stop Kuznetsov's forehand flick from in close as Pittsburgh's bid at becoming the first team in 35 years to win three consecutive Cups came to an abrupt end.

The Capitals played without center Nicklas Backstrom, who was scratched due to a right hand injury suffered in the third period of Washington's Game 5 victory. Forward Tom Wilson also sat for a third straight game while serving a suspension for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh's Zach Aston-Reese in Game 2.

Washington spent the series saying its forgettable playoff history littered with squandered leads and blown opportunities - particularly against the Penguins - is not a factor. That this time is different. That this team is different. Twice the Capitals rallied in the third period to stun Pittsburgh, including a four-goal outburst in Game 5 that pushed them to the brink of their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 20 years.

That last step, however, has always been tricky. Four times previously during the Ovechkin Era the Capitals won three games in the second round only to come up short in Game 7.

The Penguins, by contrast, have been impossible to finish off since head coach Mike Sullivan took over in December 2015. Pittsburgh came in 4-0 in elimination games under Sullivan, including a 2-0 victory in Game 7 in Washington last spring on its way to a second straight title.

The stakes led to an unusually slow start for both before the Capitals broke through 2:13 into the second when Walker held off Pittsburgh's Derick Brassard behind the Pittsburgh net and fed Chiasson in the right circle. Chiasson's shot slipped under Murray's left arm for his second career playoff goal and first in more than four years when he played for Dallas.

The deficit, however, hardly appeared to stoke the Penguins. Instead they continued to plod along, staying only one goal behind thanks in large part to the play of Murray. He stuffed Jakub Vrana on a breakaway to keep Pittsburgh's hole from getting any larger and at about the game's midway point, Sullivan had seen enough. He reshuffled the lines - putting Patric Hornqvist alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin alongside Phil Kessel - and the energy shifted immediately.

The score soon followed.

Crosby won a faceoff in the offensive zone and fed it to Letang, whose shot from the point Washington's Chandler Stephenson and slipped by Holtby 11:52 into the second to tie it and set the stage for more drama in a series and a rivalry that continues to one-up itself spring after spring.

NOTES: Washington forward Andre Burakovsky missed his 10th straight game with an upper-body injury. ... Crosby's assist pushed his career playoff total to 185, tied with Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman for 10th most all-time. ... Walker's assist was the first ever in the playoffs by an Australian.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> TAMPA, Fla. – None of Washington, D.C.’s four major sports teams have won a championship since 1992 (Redskins – Super Bowl XXVI). The Washington Capitals, D.C.’s hockey team, will have a chance to put the freeze on that drought.

Wednesday, the Capitals defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 in a winner-take-all game seven of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final. With the victory, the Caps advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1998. Washington has never won a Stanley Cup Final game, much less a title.

Alex Ovechkin opened the scoring just 1:02 into the game. 8:59 into the second period, Andre Burakovsky scored his first of two goals to put the Caps ahead 2-0. His second goal of the night came with less than four minutes to play in the second period and gave Washington a 3-0 advantage.

Putting the icing on the cake, Nicklas Backstrom added a goal in the final four minutes of the third period. Braden Holtby delivered his second straight shutout in goal for the Caps.

The Capitals will face the Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team, in the best of seven Stanley Cup Final. That series begins 8:00 p.m. Monday in Las Vegas.
The Washington Capitals advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years with a 2–1 win over arch rival Pittsburgh Penguins, winning the series 4–2.