PENGUINS TAKE 3-1 LEAD
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are playing without the world’s consensus No. 1 player Sidney Crosby, their best defenseman Kris Letang and their No. 1 goalie Matt Murray. Somehow the Penguins are one win short of reaching the NHL Eastern Conference finals after downing the Washington Capitals 3-2 Wednesday. With Crosby out with a concussion, the Penguins needed goals by three scorers plus a 35-save goaltending performance by Marc-Andre Fleury to claim a 3-1 lead in the best-of- seven series. Pittsburgh fans consistently booed Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen in the game because he had delivered the crosscheck that injured Crosby in Game 3.