This was their chance. This was where the Washington Capitals would get even and go home, back to the Roar in Red at Verizon Center, back to a best-of-three with a "Can you hear us now?" swagger again. The Capitals were the desperate team, which we hear so often is a provably beneficial intangible for a playoff team, while the Pittsburgh Penguins could afford to lose one. Besides, there was the built-in excuse of not having their best defenseman on hand.
Instead, the Capitals are going back to Washington, facing what appears to be an insurmountable task, a three-games-to-one hole after a crushing 3-2 overtime loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at CONSOL Energy Center.