Capitals rally past Penguins to avoid elimination

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin scored 27 seconds apart in the third period as the Washington Capitals avoided elimination by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 in Game 5 on Saturday night.

Nicklas Backstrom tied the score early in the third as the Capitals finally solved Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Washington’s comeback spoiled the return of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

Crosby had an assist and Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel also scored for the Penguins, who lead the second-round series 3-2 with Game 6 back in Pittsburgh on Monday.

While Fleury struggled for the first time against the Capitals, Vezina Trophy finalist Braden Holtby had his best game of the series, stopping 20 shots. Andre Burakovsky also scored for Washington.

Hours after defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk bemoaned that illtimed penalties were hurting the Capitals, a holding call on Nate Schmidt paved the way for another momentum shift as Kessel scored on the power play 4:20 into the second. The Penguins went into the second intermission with a lead having won 37 of 39 games in that spot during the regular season and all six in the playoffs.

It took an individual effort from Backstrom to begin Washington’s stunning turnaround. The Capitals’ top-line center carried the puck up the ice, executed a give-and-go with Burakovsky and beat Fleury for the tying goal at 2:49 of the third.

With the crowd buzzing again, Kuznetsov sparked more chants of “FLEU-RY, FLEU-RY,” by scoring the go-ahead goal from a sharp angle 7:20 into the third. It was his fifth goal of the playoffs and fourth in the series.

Ovechkin wasted no time making it 4-2 as he wired a shot past Fleury at 7:47.

CAROLYN KASTER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby (87) looks to the puck from down on the ice as Washington’s Justin Williams (14) and defenseman Dmitry Orlov (9) move on Saturday in Washington.