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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON (AP) – All it took was half a minute of Mario Lemieux
to put the Washington Capitals on the brink of elimination.
|  | | Equipment lies strewn after a melee at the end of the Penguins' win over the Caps. Four misconducts resulted, and Jeff Halpern got a major penalty for spearing. |
Lemieux had a goal and an assist in a 31-second span of the
first period as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Capitals 2-1
Saturday.
"That was huge," Lemieux said. "Right off the bat, we got off
to a good start."
In 94 career playoff games, Lemieux has 161 points. One more
victory by the Penguins, the team Lemieux owns, will advance
Pittsburgh to the second round.
Pittsburgh, which has won five of the six playoff meetings
between the teams, improved to 7-0 against Washington in Game 5s.
The Penguins lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can eliminate
the Capitals at home Monday night. Game 7, if necessary, would be
Tuesday night back in Washington.
"Obviously, it's not over yet," Lemieux said. "It's going to
be another battle. They're going to be desperate, and we have to be
ready for a hard 60 minutes."
Andrew Ference gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead. Sergei Gonchar scored
Washington's lone goal in the second.
"For us this was Game 7," said Jaromir Jagr, who with Lemieux
set up Ference's goal. "We had to close the door or we would be in
big trouble."
Eight of the last nine playoff games between the teams --
including six straight from Game 2 last year until Game 2 this year
-- were decided by one goal. The team that has scored first has won
each game of this series.
"That was the key," Jagr said of the quick goals.
Lemieux, who did not record a shot in the 1-0 Game 1 loss, has
three goals and three assists in the four games since -- adding to
the totals accrued before his 3 1/2-year retirement.
The teams, who combined for seven goals in the first three games
before a 4-3 contest in Game 4, returned to a defensive style of
play. Pittsburgh had more chances in the first period, before
Washington countered in the second.
"One bad shift in the game and they score two goals off it,"
Capitals coach Ron Wilson said. "Other than that I can't find any
flaws in our game except that we couldn't find a way to score."
Washington mounted pressure in the final minute with an extra
skater, but couldn't generate many chances.
"The series is not over by any means," Capitals goalie Olaf
Kolzig said.
"It's not like they outplayed us. We had a couple of big
breakdowns in that one-minute span and they capitalized."
A big scrum ensued at the final buzzer. Four misconducts, two on
each team, and a major penalty to Jeff Halpern for spearing
Pittsburgh's Darius Kasparaitis were called.
"He's cheap-shotting us all game," Halpern said. "Obviously,
you get frustrated and you can't do anything about it."
The Penguins took a 1-0 lead on Ference's first career playoff
goal. Jagr's shot was stopped, but Kolzig couldn't control the
rebound. The puck came out to Ference, who fired a long shot that
went past Kolzig's glove 6:35 in.
"I just came off the bench and made a beeline right for the
puck and I happened to get it in the right spot," Ference said.
Lemieux didn't let Washington's towel-waving fans fully absorb
the bad news when he made it 2-0 with his 73rd playoff goal.
Ference's shot was stopped, and Jan Hrdina managed to get the puck
to Lemieux, who scored at 7:06.
"It was a breakdown," Halpern said. "They take a shot from
the outside and we were a little scrambly in front. The rebound
comes right to Lemieux and he puts it in."
Gonchar cut it to 2-1 midway through the second period with the
Capitals' sixth power-play goal of the series. Washington only has
one even-strength goal -- Halpern's overtime tally in Game 4 -- in
the series.
"We've got to find a way to score even strength," Wilson said.
After Peter Bondra was stopped in close by rookie goalie Johan
Hedberg, the puck was worked around to Gonchar, who fired a shot
from the middle of the ice and beat Hedberg at 10:01.
Gonchar, a defenseman, has a goal and three assists on the power
play in the series.
Washington captain Adam Oates, who was benched in the third
period and overtime of Game 4, played 16:23 Saturday. The
38-year-old center, who tied Jagr for the NHL assist lead in the
regular season, played only 8:28 Wednesday.
Pittsburgh, which took only one third-period shot, was outshot
22-18. The one shot matched a playoff low for the Penguins, done
one other time against Washington seven years ago.
The Capitals, who had the NHL's second best home power play in
the regular season (24.5 percent), were 1-for-3 Saturday against
Pittsburgh, which had the worst penalty-killing unit of the 16
playoff teams.
Pittsburgh was denied by goal posts twice, once on a drive by
Ian Moran, and another on a Jagr shot in the third period.
Washington's Chris Simon also was stopped by the iron.
Game notes
Oates, pointless in this series, had at least one point in
the previous 24 series. ... Halpern had not been on the ice for an
even-strength goal in the first four games matched against
Lemieux's line. That ended when he was skating during both Penguins
goals. ... Pittsburgh eliminated Washington exactly one year ago
with a road victory in Game 5.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
Penguins-Capitals Series Page
Ference No. 1 star in star-studded game
RECAPS
Buffalo 8
Philadelphia 0
Los Angeles 3
Detroit 2
St. Louis 2
San Jose 1
Pittsburgh 2
Washington 1
Dallas 3
Edmonton 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Andrew Ference's slap shot burns Olaf Kolzig for the goal.
avi: 1837 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
Mario Lemieux fires a shot past Olaf Kolzig.
avi: 1551 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
Sergei Gonchar scores for Washington.
avi: 1674 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
Washington and Pittsburgh get into a huge brawl at end of Game 6.
avi: 3156 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
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