Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals meet again: Same series, different year

Sidney Crosby (87) of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates past Alex Ovechkin (8) of the Washington Capitals during the second period at Capital One Arena on Nov. 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. ARLINGTON, Va. — Like tourists flocking to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom, the Pittsburgh Penguins making a trip to Washington in the playoffs has become a rite of spring.

The Penguins and Capitals will face off in the second round for the third consecutive year with the core groups changed only slightly from past battles. Back-to-back Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh still has playoff MVPs Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and Washington still has stars Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom trying to make…