with a 1–2–2–1–1 format (team with home ice advantage plays Games 1, 4, 5, and 7 at home) because Pittsburgh's arena was unavailable for 7 of 14 days listed by the NHL and ABC-TV's request to televise Game 2. This special format caused many Capitals fans to feel irate, fearing the new format would put the team at a serious disadvantage, being in an 0–3 series hole when they returned home for Game 4. These worries came true after the Penguins won the first three games in the series, starting with a 7–0 win at the MCI Center. The next four games were all close as each of them were decided by one goal. Washington won Game 4 at home, but lost in Game 5 marking their fifth playoff series loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 2000–01 season, the Capitals won a weak Southeast Division once more and earned the third seed in the conference as the worst-ranked division winner, while the Penguins earned the sixth seed. In the first round, the Capitals started the series with a 1–0 win over the Penguins, but lost the next two games. Game 4 in Pittsburgh went to overtime, and Jeff Halpern scored for Washington, their first even strength goal in the series to tie the series at two heading back to D.C. However, Pittsburgh responded with a 2–1 win in Games 5 and 6 (with Game 6 being ended in overtime by Martin Straka), thus defeating the Capitals once again. In addition, the Capitals scored only three even strength goals in the entire series. The Penguins went to the Eastern Conference Finals before being defeated in five games by the Devils. 2001–2006 The rivalry cooled off significantly for the next five years after the 2001 playoff encounter, as Washington and Pittsburgh combined for only one playoff appearance during this time (Washington lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals). The misfortunes of the two teams in the regular season would earn them the ability to draft high-end talent. Alexander Semin (13th overall, 2002), Alexander Ovechkin (1st overall, 2004), and Nicklas Backstrom (4th overall, 2006), were drafted by the Capitals, while Ryan Whitney (5th overall, 2002), Marc-Andre Fleury (1st overall, 2003), Evgeni Malkin (2nd overall, 2004), Sidney Crosby (1st overall, 2005), and Jordan Staal (2nd overall, 2006) were drafted by the Penguins. These players did their part in