The Washington Capitals found themselves on the brink of elimination heading into the third period of Game 5, trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. And then Washington exploded.
In a span of eight minutes to start the final period, the Capitals scored three times, Braden Holtby made several superb saves, and the Capitals secured a 4-2 victory that forced a Game 6 in Pittsburgh.
It was a moment of resilience, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe noted:
Ben VolinEven if/when the Penguins win the series, give the Capitals credit: Third period, season on the line, they came through with 3 big goals
May 7, 2017 at 1:55:01 AM GMT
That resilience was all the more surprising given Washington's habit of folding in the postseason.