Capitals take Game 1 from Penguins

Courtesy of the Sports Network

Tomas Fleischmann scored the game-winner in the early stages of the third period, as the Washington Capitals edged the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-2, in Game 1 of this star-studded Eastern Conference semifinal from a roaring Verizon Center.

It's a match-up boasting two of the most recognizable names in the NHL -- Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alex Ovechkin, the last two players to capture the Hart Trophy as league MVP.

Ovechkin and Crosby's teammate, Evgeni Malkin, who led the league with 78 assists and 113 points during the regular season, are two of the three finalists for the prestigious award this year, with the indelible Ovechkin vying to become the first player to claim the honor in back-to-back seasons since Dominik Hasek accomplished the feat over a decade ago.

Ovechkin and David Steckel also lit the lamp for the second-seeded Capitals, who battled back from a three-games-to-one hole in the first round to vanquish the Rangers, the franchise's first playoff series triumph in 11 years. Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom both recorded two assists.

Unheralded rookie Simeon Varlamov continued his outstanding work between the pipes for the Southeast Division champs. Varlamov, who supplanted Jose Theodore after a less-than-stellar effort in Game 1 against New York, earned the victory with 34 saves, none bigger than a fabulous stop on Crosby late in the second period and with the score tied.

"No disrespect to the Rangers, but (the Penguins) come at you. We have to be ready," said Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau. "There's no chance if we had got down 2-0 at home, we would have been able to do the same thing and duplicate it. So we knew how important this (game) was."

Crosby and Mark Eaton found the net for the fourth-seeded Penguins, who needed six games to eliminate Philadelphia in the opening round. Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three goals on 26 shots in defeat.

Game 2 of this best-of-seven set is scheduled for Monday in the nation's capital.

With the score deadlocked at two through 40 minutes of play, Fleischmann struck early in the third period to restore the lead for the home team. Semin slowed up just inside the blueline and faked a shot before sending a cross-ice pass to Backstrom. Meanwhile, Fleischmann was all alone at the right side of the net. He settled down a feed from the young Swede and lifted a shot over Fleury's shoulder at the 1:46 mark.

Pittsburgh failed to cash in on a pair of power plays in the final frame and pulled Fleury with a little over a minute to play, but the equalizer never materialized.

Crosby staked the visitors to an early 1-0 lead. The Pittsburgh captain took a feed from Bill Guerin, came down the right wing, cut to the middle and fired a shot from the high slot past Varlamov's glove 4:09 into the contest.

Washington, though, overcame its slow start and held a one-goal lead after the opening frame. Steckel drove the net and slipped the rebound of a Matt Bradley shot through the pads of Fleury with 6:10 remaining.

The Capitals then used perfect execution on an extended two-man advantage to pull ahead, as Ovechkin one-timed a pass from Semin past Fleury with 2:57 left in the first period.

Pittsburgh tied the game at two when Eaton's slap shot from the left point caught Varlamov's glove and trickled in with 7:06 remaining in the middle stanza. The Russian netminder had a clear view of the puck, but simply misplayed the shot.

However, Varlamov atoned for the gaffe with a couple phenomenal saves to keep the game tied. He slid across to deny Petr Sykora with the left pad on an odd- man rush, then reached back with the paddle on the goal line to rob Crosby, who had raised his arms in apparent triumph but was denied.

"We had chances to get some more goals," said Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma. "(Varlamov) obviously made the huge save there with the open net."

Game Notes

Pittsburgh finished 0-for-5 on the power play, while Washington was 1- for-2...This series marks the eighth time the Capitals and Penguins have clashed in the postseason, with Pittsburgh having won six of the previous meetings. They last met in the opening round of the 2001 playoffs and the Pens skated away with a six-game series victory. Washington's only playoff triumph over the Pens came in six games during the 1994 conference quarterfinals.