Capitals top Penguins to close in on Eastern Conference final

JakubVranacame to the rink expecting to play on the Capitals' third line again. He left as a top-liner on top of the world.

Vranamade the most of his promotion to the top line alongside AlexOvechkinandEvgenyKuznetsov, setting up the tying goal and scoring the Game 5 winner as Washington beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 Saturday night to take a 3-2 lead in the second-round series and put the back-to-back defending StanleyCup champions on the brink of elimination.

Game Wrap: Jakub Vrana powers Capitals to series lead over Penguins

6 years ago

Duration 1:44

Vrana, who was promoted to Washington's top line, scored a goal and added two assists, as the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3, to take a 3-2 series lead in their Eastern Conference Second Round series.

After replacing an ineffectiveDevanteSmith-Pellyon the top line, the 22-year-old rookie sprungKuznetsovon the breakaway that tied the score early in the third period and took a pass fromOvechkinand scored the go-ahead goal with 4:38 left to send a fired-up crowd into a frenzy.Vranamade BarryTrotzlook like a genius for bumping him up the lineup but wasn't expecting to be his coach's plan B.

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"That's just how the game rolls," said Vrana, who also assisted on Brett Connolly's first-period goal to give him three points. "Sometimes you're gonna make changes. Today we did. We were all ready. I felt comfortable out there. Ready for next game."

That next game, Monday night in Pittsburgh, is the Capitals' chance to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in the Ovechkin era and for the first time overall since 1998 when they lost in the Cup Final. They may have to do it without star centreNicklas Backstrom, who left in the third period with an upper-body injury that Trotz said the team will have more information on Sunday.

With Backstrom unable to play the final 13 minutes, Lars Eller double-shifted and Vrana looked like a perfect fit with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. The Capitals are on the verge of beating Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins for the first time in four playoff series dating to 2009 on the strength of top-end scoring and goaltending from Braden Holtby, who stopped 36 of the 39 shots he faced.

'He's a big wall over there'

"Obviously Holts right now playing unbelievable," Ovechkin said. "He's a big wall over there. When he play like that, it give us confidence."

Confidence isn't lacking on either side. The Capitals hope they can build off an emotional victory, and the Penguins will try to win their fourth consecutive Game 6 after falling behind 3-2 in a series.

"Your desperation level is a little higher," said Crosby, who scored his ninth goal of the playoffs. "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."

The Capitals ensured at least one more home game this post-season with goals by John Carlson and Connolly 33 seconds apart in the first period and a rebound effort in the third after being outshot 18-5 in the second. Pittsburgh got goals from Jamie Oleksiak at even strength and Crosby and Patric Hornqvist on the power play, often hanging goalie Matt Murray out to dry as he allowed four on 30 shots.

Kuznetsov's goal brought out his bird-flapping celebration and awakened a crowd that booed the Capitals at the end of the second period. Vrana's goal was followed by deafening chants of "Lets' Go Caps!" at the next timeout, among the loudest in the building over Washington's decade-long run of contention.

"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."