on to win Game 4, 3–2, to take a 3–1 series lead heading into D.C. for Game 5. The series shifted back to the Verizon Center for Game 5. With Sidney Crosby back in the lineup and the Penguins up 2–1 after two periods, they had a chance to close out the series and earn a trip back to the Eastern Conference Finals, but it all went downhill for them starting from the puck drop for the third period. Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Alexander Ovechkin scored to help the Capitals bounce back to win Game 5, 4–2, and send the series back to Western Pennsylvania for Game 6. Washington rode their momentum generated in Game 5 into Game 6, as they tallied the first five goals of the game. John Carlson, T. J. Oshie, and Nicklas Backstrom scored once each for the Capitals, while André Burakovsky scored two. With Washington leading 5–0 with minutes left, Pittsburgh scored two goals, yet the Capitals still won 5–2. Braden Holtby made 16 saves on 18 shots to send the series to a decisive Game 7 on Washington ice. For the fourth time in history, the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins played a Game 7 against each other. The first period did not have any goals scored: Marc-Andre Fleury and his counterpart, Holtby, were having a solid game thus far. In the second period, the Penguins used a Washington turnover to generate a scoring chance: Jake Guentzel made a timely pass to teammate Bryan Rust, who scored to put the visitors on the board. This proved to be the only goal of the period, as the Penguins went into the second intermission up 1–0. Then, in the third period, Patric Hornqvist wristed a shot over Holtby's shoulder to add insurance to Pittsburgh's lead. The Penguins did not relinquish their 2–0 lead, as they shut out their arch-rivals in Washington to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year. Fleury made 29 saves for Pittsburgh in the deciding win. The Penguins went on to defeat Ottawa in the conference finals and followed that series victory with a defeat of the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Finals in six games. 2018 The Capitals held home ice advantage again in the 2018 match-up, clinching the Metropolitan Division title with 105 points and ousting the Blue Jackets in the first round in six