Posted by Scott Burnside
PITTSBURGH -- So, do you think the third period will be any fun?
A much better period for the Capitals, obviously, as they scored twice on six shots and held a 2-1 lead until Mark Eaton scored on the power play with 33.4 seconds left in the second to tie it again. But the second period was much more to the Capitals' liking than the first.
First off, they got production from guys who've been silent for most of the series. Viktor Kozlov, who has immense talent but plays so small for a big man, unleashed a laser wrist shot after a nice pass by Alex Ovechkin. It was Kozlov's first goal of the series, which tied the game at 1.
Tomas Fleischmann, who scored the game winner in Game 1 but hadn't scored since, put the Capitals ahead on a pass from Alexander Semin with 5:18 left in the second. The goal was on a delayed penalty call thanks to Semin's burst down the right side and into the slot, which forced the Penguins to haul him down.
Part of what has made this series great has been seeing talented players taking the puck to the net. It's not easy and it requires both skill and gumption. It was Jordan Staal who got his first goal of the playoffs in Game 5, driving the net and forcing Brian Pothier to drag him to the ice. It gave the Penguins a late power play that they capitalized on to tie the game.
Who knew Mark Eaton would have four goals at this juncture of the playoffs? Go figure. The goal came after a curious play by Washington defenseman Milan Jurcina, who was trying to control a bouncing puck and scooped it between his legs and into the slot. Looked like he was trying to pass it to a teammate, but it went to Eaton. That's the margin between winning and losing sometimes. Hang on to your seats for the third.
More from me after the game!
ESPN.com Stanley Cup playoffs blog
