WASHINGTON – Evgeni Malkin had scored on the power play to create the first kernel of belief. On the bench, the idea grew that the Penguins, so strong in the third period all season, might actually erase what was a 3-1 deficit.
Then, the hockey gods cruelly yanked the carpet out from under their feet, and the ensuing 29-second sequence proved to be the most crucial turning point in a 5-2 Penguins loss to the Capitals on Wednesday at Verizon Center.
Matt Cullen couldn’t convert a breakaway at one end before Nicklas Backstrom scored to make it 4-1, a two-goal swing that effectively ended the game.