The Pittsburgh Penguins grabbed a 1-0 series lead over the Washington Capitals in the 2017 NHL playoffs after a 3-2 victory Thursday night in Washington, D.C.The game featured two of the most exciting players in the league, and Sidney Crosby out-dueled Alexander Ovechkin. In addition to coming out on the winning end, Crosby finished with two goals to Ovechkin's one.After an evenly matched first period, the Penguins took control of the game with two quick goals in the second period.Crosby needed just 12 seconds to get Pittsburgh on the board, firing a one-timer past Braden Holtby. NHL on NBC shared a replay of the goal:Less than a minute later, Crosby doubled the Penguins' advantage. The six-time All-Star was in the right place at the right time to poke home a rebound after Holtby saved a shot from Olli Maatta.NHL Network's Jamie Hersch tweeted how Crosby has Washington's number in the postseason:Sports Illustrated's Michael Blinn and The Athletic's James Mirtle reacted to Crosby's offensive outburst:With the period nearing its conclusion, Ovechkin got the home crowd back into the game with a goal. He halved the Capitals' deficit with a goal at the 18:17 mark.Marc-Andre Fleury was powerless to stop Ovechkin's laser-guided wrist shot. NHL on NBC offered a look at the tally:Evgeny Kuznetsov further energized the Verizon Center after he tied the game 2-2 with a goal with 8:05 elapsed in the third period. The positivity was fleeting, though, as Pittsburgh retook the lead with a goal fromNick Bonino, capping off an excellent attacking move.NBCSN shared a replay of the winner:It wasn't smooth sailing for the Penguins over the remaining 7:24 of the game, though, as Fleury stonewalled the Capitals during a frenzied stretch in the game's final minutes. Even the Penguins' official Twitter account was biting its nails following the action:Prior to the start of Game 1, ESPN Stats & Info noted beating the Capitals in the playoffs had been a good omen for the Penguins in the past:Washington's playoff futility has become an albatross around the franchise's neck. The reaction to the Capitals' Game 3 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round illustrated how quickly desperation can set in for the fanbase.Dropping Game 1 at home could bring some of that same feeling. The Penguins now have home-ice advantage and aren't shouldering the emotional weight of past postseason failures.The Capitals rebounded after losing Game 3 and going down 2-1 to the Leafs, so it's far too early to count Washington out. However, getting a win in Game 2 is essential for the Caps now.The two teams will have a night off before hitting the ice again. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.
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