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.

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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>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>(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>(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>In a season in which the Washington Capitals were expected to take a half-step backward, they instead have taken a major leap forward.

The Capitals, playing without injured center Nicklas Backstrom, downed the nemesis Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in overtime on Evgeny Kuznetsov's breakaway goal to reach the Eastern Conference final for the first time in the Alex Ovechkin era. They will face the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Before the Capitals dispatched the Penguins, winners of back-to-back Stanley Cups, in six games this season, Ovechkin was 6-9 in playoff series, including 0-3 against the Penguins in the postseason.

Three times since Ovechkin arrived, the Capitals won the Presidents' Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team. Seven times, they registered 100 or more points.

Expectations have been high for the Capitals for more than a decade, and they couldn’t deliver. They had been eliminated seven times in a Game 7, including last season by the Penguins.

Last season, salary cap issues forced a reshuffling of the roster.

Maybe that was exactly what they needed. The Capitals didn’t need to be rebuilt, but they did need to be refreshed.

Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk, Daniel Winnik and Justin Williams left via free agency. Marcus Johansson was traded to the New Jersey Devils. Nate Schmidt was lost in the expansion draft.

That opened room for Jakub Vrana, Chandler Stephenson, Christian Djoos, Alex Chiasson, Devante Smith-Pelly and others to earn more playing time or fill a spot on the roster.

The core group remained the same, but the roster was different enough to give the team a refurbished feel. Lars Eller had a better season, and Tom Wilson expanded his role.

National expectations for this team were lowered, and that allowed the Capitals to fly under the radar this season.

More: Why the Lightning can win the Stanley Cup

Everyone was talking about the Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Few were talking about the Capitals. Perhaps that also added another layer of motivation. When people stop talking about you, it’s time to elevate your game.

In this playoff run, the Capitals have performed like the playoff team they’ve always wanted to be. Opportunistic scoring. Competitive defense. Strong goaltending. Ovechkin has carried the load offensively, and Braden Holtby has been stellar in net. Key players Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie and Backstrom have had moments of glory.

Give coach Barry Trotz credit for handling the Holtby situation perfectly at the start of the playoffs. Holtby was not sharp down the stretch and lost his job to Philipp Grubauer. Trotz chose Grubauer to start the playoffs. Did he believe Grubauer was the best choice? Or did he do it to light a fire under Holtby? Maybe a little of both.

Whatever the reason, Holtby became the playoff force he has always been.

No one is happier to be in the conference final than Ovechkin, a subject of constant criticism because of the Caps’ recent postseason failures. He has been beastly in this postseason with 15 points in 12 games, including an assist on Kuznetsov's game-winner.

The Capitals are only halfway to winning the Stanley Cup, which means it's too early to start making bold predictions.

But given their past playoff failures, wouldn’t it be fascinating if the Capitals finally won the Stanley Cup in a season when no one was expecting them to win?</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>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>Coming into this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins had won nine of 10 meetings in the postseason against the Washington Capitals. It is a history marked by epic collapse, unlikely comebacks and wild finishes.

Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and company rewrote the script a bit this time around: Washington is moving on after ousting the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins in six games. Here’s an updated history lesson:

THE DEFINING MOMENT: The Capitals scored three times in the first 10:26 of the third period of Game 2 in Pittsburgh to take the lead. Randy Gilhen — he of the three career playoff goals — jumped onto the ice during a delayed Washington penalty and emerged from a sea of bodies to tie it with less than 5 minutes left in regulation. Kevin Stevens won it with a wrist shot off a pretty setup by Ron Francis 8:10 into overtime to even the series. The Capitals scored three goals total the rest of the way as the Penguins advanced to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 2. The massively talented Penguins had seven Hall of Famers on the roster (eight if you include the ageless and sure-to-be inducted Jaromir Jagr) and won their first Cup two rounds later.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: The Capitals sprinted to a 3-1 series lead. After getting drilled at home in Game 5, Washington led 4-2 4 minutes into the second period of Game 6. And then Mario Lemieux happened. Super Mario scored or assisted on three power-play goals over the final 30 minutes as the Penguins tied the series, then shut the Caps down in Game 7, a 3-1 win on the road to propel them to a second straight Cup.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 8. Pittsburgh had a bit of a Cup hangover after winning it all in ’91 and appeared on the verge of collapse after the Capitals crushed them 7-2 in Game 4. And then … well, consider this the start of a trend.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Washington again jumped out to a 3-1 series lead only to lose Game 5. Back home for Game 6, the Capitals went up 3-0 only to have the Penguins cut it to 3-2 after the first period. Momentum teetering, Washington defenseman Calle Johansson beat Tom Barrasso 1:25 into the second to restore the Caps’ two-goal lead and Washington closed out Pittsburgh for the first time.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 6. Pittsburgh viewed 1994 as a redemption tour after its bid for a three-peat was derailed by the Islanders in the 1993 playoffs. The Penguins won the Northeast Division and had the third-best record in the league only to lose to a Capitals team that started the season 0-6 and fired coach Terry Murray at midseason and replaced him with Jim Schoenfeld.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Lemieux sat out the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season due to fatigue and the Capitals took advantage in the playoffs. Washington — stop us if you’ve heard this before — headed to Pittsburgh with a 3-1 lead and jumped ahead four separate times in front of a stunned crowd at the Igloo. Kevin Stevens, however, drew the Penguins even with 8:18 left in regulation and Luc Robitaille kept Pittsburgh’s season alive with his OT winner 4:30 into the first extra period to give the Penguins a 6-5 victory. Pittsburgh went on to win Games 6 and 7 by a combined 10-1.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 9. For a franchise that didn’t exactly have a reputation for answering when pushed, Washington’s remarkable play in Game 5 went against the grain and it didn’t have to worry about Lemieux. And yet …

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Make it defining moments. All of them seeming to come in an epic Game 4 . The Capitals led 2-1 and didn’t have to contend with Lemieux after he was ejected late in the second period for fighting Washington’s Pat Peake. Regulation ended tied at 2. So did the first overtime. And the second (after Washington’s Joe Juneau couldn’t convert the first overtime penalty shot in NHL history). And the third. With 45 seconds left in the fourth extra period, Petr Nedved threw a shot in from outside the left circle that slipped by Olaf Kolzig and into the net to tie the series. Pittsburgh captured the next two to advance to the conference finals.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: They might not have invented the number yet to rate the emotional toll of this one. Say “Nedved” around Caps fans at your own risk.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Washington lost 7-0 in Game 1, but had a chance to even the series when Game 2 went to overtime. Jaromir Jagr, however, effectively ended the competitive portion of things with a power-play goal 5:49 into overtime as the Penguins — who finished a middling third in the Atlantic Division — knocked off the Southeast Division champions with relative ease.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 3. Washington’s record was a bit of a mirage in a division that included the teams (Atlanta and Tampa Bay) that finished with the two worst records in the NHL.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: The last great stand of the Lemieux-Jagr partnership. Super Mario scored the game-winning goals in both Game 2 and Game 5 and Martin Straka’s OT winner finished off the Capitals in six games. Washington was built on coach Ron Wilson’s defensive style but the Penguins — as they almost always did — found a way to squeak by anyway. Pittsburgh allowed just 10 goals in six games.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 4. At this point, the rivalry had gotten to the point where the Capitals appeared ready for the other shoe to drop.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Let’s just go with the whole thing. The NHL pulled itself out of the 2004-05 lockout largely on the back of Crosby and Ovechkin. Meeting in the playoffs for the first time, they somehow exceeded massive expectations. They put up matching hat tricks in Washington’s Game 2 win. The Penguins responded by ripping off three straight only to have Washington force a Game 7 with an overtime victory in Pittsburgh in Game 6 (helped by three Ovechkin assists).

SPOILER ALERT: No. At home in Game 7, the Capitals collapsed. Crosby opened the scoring, the Penguins were up by four just 2:12 into the second and that was it.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 7.5. It probably should be higher because of Washington’s very un-Capslike rally in Game 6 on the road but the Penguins were coming off a season in which they were a Stanley Cup runner-up and just proved to be more mature when it mattered.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Pittsburgh was in a malaise in December and fired coach Mike Johnston in favor of Mike Sullivan. General manager Jim Rutherford overhauled the roster to one built on speed and depth. All three goal scorers in Pittsburgh’s clinching Game 6 win — Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel — were brought in by Rutherford to ramp up the team’s quickness. Together they formed the “HBK” line and Bonino’s jam into the net 6:32 into overtime showcased the depth the Penguins needed to take some of the pressure off Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 9. The Capitals captured the Presidents’ Trophy by posting 120 points, 11 more than the next best team. They had home ice and a Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender in Braden Holtby, who lost in regulation only nine times during the regular season. Still, Holtby was outplayed — just a tad — by 21-year-old rookie Matt Murray.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Maybe Matt Niskanen’s controversial shot to Crosby’s head in Game 3 that forced Crosby to miss Game 4? Washington’s comeback from a 3-1 deficit to force Game 7? Let’s go with Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. The winningest netminder in franchise history had lost his job to Murray over the course of the season, but was pressed into action when Murray was injured before Game 1 of Pittsburgh’s opening-round series against Columbus. Fleury was brilliant, no more so than in Game 7 against the Caps. He stopped 29 shots for his ninth career playoff shutout, including a save on an Ovechkin one-timer with the butt end of his stick late in the second period to preserve a one-goal lead.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 6. Why 6? Call it the emotional calluses of disappointment. If this loss was to say, the New York Rangers, it may have been more traumatic. But this is what happens when the Capitals play the Penguins.

THE DEFINING MOMENT: Well, for a while there it was tempting to go with Tom Wilson’s crunching — and illegal — hit on Pittsburgh’s Zach Aston-Reese in Game 2 that left Aston-Reese’s jaw broken and led to Wilson getting slapped with a three-game suspension. Instead we’ll go with Evgeny Kuznetsov’s breakaway goal 5:27 into overtime in Game 6 that gave the Capitals a cathartic victory and their first berth in the Eastern Conference finals in 20 years.

GUT PUNCH LEVEL: 0. The Penguins looked gassed at the end of a long run.

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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.