Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist.
Sidney Crosby chipped in a pair of assists.
That was precisely the kind of production many people believed the Penguins would need from their most prominent players to win a playoff game against Washington.
Except that the four points for which Crosby and Malkin combined were spread over six games during Round 2 against the Capitals, hardly the offensive impact expected of them. Didn’t really matter, though.
The Penguins still managed to advance to the Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay — a series that will begin with Game 1 Friday at 8:10 p.