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Pens erase 2-goal deficit to top Caps

Pittsburgh Penguins center Jake Guentzel (59) competes for the puck against Washington Capitals center Chandler Stephenson (18) during the third period in Game 1 of an NHL second-round hockey playoff series, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Washington. The Penguins won 3-2. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

WASHINGTON (AP) — After the Capitals scored early, the Penguins scored often to stun their rivals with yet another comeback.

Patric Hornqvist, Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel scored in a 4:49 span to help Pittsburgh erase a two-goal deficit in the third period and the Penguins beat Washington, 3-2, on Thursday night in Game 1 of the second-round series.

Showing no panic from allowing a goal to Evgeny Kuznetsov 17 seconds into the game and another to Alex Ovechkin 28 seconds into the third period, the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions took another series lead in typical Penguins fashion.

Playing without injured forwards Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin, Pittsburgh naturally fed off Crosby, who had a goal and an assist.

Matt Murray stopped 32 of 34 shots, keeping the Penguins in the game and maintaining the lead late with a sprawling stick save on Brett Connolly with 2:30 left. Unsure of what would happen at the other end of the rink with Braden Holtby dialed in, Murray could only keep the puck out as much as possible after allowing the early-period goals to Kuznetsov and Ovechkin.

The Capitals gave the Penguins a couple of solid punches in the series opener but didn’t respond well when some bounces went against them early in the third.

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