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BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Washington Capitals, fighting a
decade-long Pittsburgh Penguins jinx, put a hex of their own on
Mario Lemieux.
|  | | Mario Lemieux and the Penguins' high-powered offense looked a little lost in Game 1. |
Lemieux didn't get a shot on goal in his first playoff game in four years. The Capitals constantly put a body on the unretired great, making Peter Bondra's second-period goal stand up in Thursday night's 1-0
victory in Game 1 of their first-round series.
"Considering the talent level of their forwards, it's as close to perfect as we're going to play against Pittsburgh," said Olaf
Kolzig, who made 16 saves for his fifth career playoff shutout.
The Penguins were shut out for the first time since Oct. 28, a
stretch of 72 regular-season games. They had not been shut out for
24 consecutive playoff games, dating to a 3-0 loss to Montreal in 1998.
"They play a tight-checking game," said Lemieux, who ended a
3½-year retirement in December. "What are you going to do? That's
the way the game goes in the playoffs. It's not going to be freewheeling like the All-Star game. If you expect that, you're at the wrong place."
In the seventh playoff meeting between the teams in 11 seasons,
the Capitals avoided the disastrous start that led to a 7-0 defeat
in Game 1 and a five-game series defeat a year ago. The closest the
Penguins came to a goal came when Washington defenseman Calle
Johansson just barely cleared Jan Hrdina's shot before it crossed the goal line in the first period, a call so close it had to be reviewed by the video replay judge.
The powerful Pittsburgh line of Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Hrdina was on the ice nearly half the time in the first two periods, but Hrdina's no goal was the only shot taken by the trio until the
third period. Coach Ivan Hlinka, coaching his first NHL playoff
game, split up Lemieux and Jagr for several shifts in the third
period, with little success.
Lemieux, who was on the ice for 24 minutes, 3 seconds, didn't
come close to adding on to his career totals of 70 playoff goals
and 85 assists – failing to record a shot for the first time in his
44 games this season.
Jagr, in 22:19, managed two shots – his first with 4:33 remaining – as part of a flurry of late chances stopped by Kolzig and the Capitals defense.
"It was a great hockey game for everyone but us," Hlinka said.
"They didn't give us much room to do much."
The Capitals have lost five of their past six series against the Penguins.
Needless penalties caused last year's series to get off to such a
bad start, and they missed the perfect chance to turn the tables
when they failed to score – or even take a shot on goal – during 40 seconds of a 5-on-3, disorganized power play that expired around
the seven-minute mark.
Then, shortly after both Pittsburgh penalties expired, Hrdina nearly put the puck in the net. On a counterattack down the right wing, Hrdina passed to Wayne Primeau, whose shot was blocked by Kolzig.
Hrdina got the rebound and slid the puck toward the goal. It
played like a pinball, hitting the left post and Kolzig's right
skate before Johansson cleared it off the line.
Replays showed that a small fraction of the bouncing puck did
not completely cross the line, and the referees ruled no goal.
"I saw it was on its way, but I didn't see it was over," Johansson said. "Fortunately, it lost a little speed. If it had been straight in, I wouldn't have had time to get it."
Bondra's goal came after Janne Laukkanen was sent to the penalty box for holding, 28 seconds into the second period. Bondra scored seven seconds later with a one-timer from the blue line through traffic to rookie goalie Johan Hedberg's glove side.
Adam Oates, fifth in the NHL in faceoff percentage with a 59
percent success rate, won the critical draw, and Sergei Gonchar and Chris Simon got the assists. Oates won 16 of 21 faceoffs in the game.
The Capitals allowed the skillful Penguins some space at times
in the first period and were fortunate not to allow a goal, but
Pittsburgh was thoroughly frustrated in the second. The Capitals
kept pushing and shadowing Lemieux, and Lemieux once retaliated
with a nasty slash to the wrist of Trevor Linden. No penalty was called.
"We knew it was going to be a tight game," Johansson said.
"It's probably going to be like this for the rest of the
series."
Game notes
Washington committed just two penalties. ... Bondra's goal
was his 25th in the playoffs, tying Dale Hunter's franchise record.
It was his sixth game-winner, give him sole possession of the
record he had shared with Joe Juneau and John Druce. ... Kolzig won
his 32nd playoff game, one short of Don Beaupre's club mark. ...
The game was stopped briefly in the first period when the red light
behind the Pittsburgh goal wouldn't turn off. Officials solved the
problem by throwing a towel over it.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
Penguins-Capitals Series Page
Parent: Lemieux's playoff project
Pens' Jonsson improving, hopes to be ready for Game 2
RECAPS
St. Louis 3
San Jose 1
New Jersey 5
Carolina 1
Washington 1
Pittsburgh 0
Colorado 5
Vancouver 4
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Washington wins the faceoff and Peter Bondra fires the one-timer by Pittsburgh's Johan Hedberg.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Darius Kasparaitis and Peter Bondra get tied up and battle all the way down the ice.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jaromir Jagr tries the wrap-around, but Olaf Kolzig denies Jagr's lone scoring chance.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Olaf Kolzig talks about shutting out the Penguins in Game 1.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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