Penguins Win Critical Game 4 vs. Capitals in Sidney Crosby's Absence

The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins are one victory away from returning to the Eastern Conference Final after their 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh became the first home team to win a game in this series and leads 3-1 against its Metropolitan Division rival.

Pittsburgh's Patric Hornqvist started the scoring in the first period, and teammates Jake Guentzel and Justin Schultz each scored in a four-goal second period, with Schultz's proving to be the winner. Guentzel received credit for his goal, but Washington's Dmitry Orlov kicked it into the net.

The Capitals received goals from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nate Schmidt in the second period after falling behind 2-0 but couldn't consistently beat the brilliant Marc-Andre Fleury. The Pittsburgh goaltender saved all but two of Washington's 38 shots, while Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby couldn't match his effort.

Penguins Overcome Sidney Crosby Injury

Pittsburgh was without its top offensive weapon after Sidney Crosby suffered a concussion on a Game 3 cross-check from Matt Niskanen, per Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. However, it survived by taking enough advantage of its offensive opportunities, with three goals on 18 shots compared to Washington's two goals on 38 shots.

The Penguins were thinking about the injury if Fleury's helmet were any indication, as Marc Dumont of SB Nation shared:

Hornqvist started the Crosby-less scoring when he threaded the needle of Washington's defense and received a perfect pass from Olli Maatta in the first five minutes of the game:

Troy Machir of CSN Mid-Atlantic summarized Washington's thoughts:

That wasn't the end of the Capitals' struggles thanks to Orlov:

The Capitals were dominant in the regular season, but Orlov's own goal served as a painful metaphor for their playoff struggles, as Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post suggested:

Schultz ended Washington's brief momentum with his tiebreaking goal and gave Fleury all the support he needed.

Fleury Shines in Goaltending Battle

Goaltending has been under the microscope since the Capitals pulled Holtby during their 6-2 loss in Game 2, and Fleury outclassed him again Wednesday.

Washington peppered Fleury from the opening period (12 shots) and didn't stop throughout the contest:

Both goaltenders looked lost for stretches in the second period during the scoring burst, but Fleury was still strong overall considering Washington held a 29-14 advantage in total shots after two periods and fired nine more in the third.

His sprawling save in the third period to preserve the lead drew plenty of appreciation:

Washington continued applying pressure in the final minutes, but Fleury stood firm and clinched his side a 3-1 series lead with a spectacular performance.

Capitals' Tortured History Continuing

Washington finished with an NHL-best 120 points last season and 118 points this season but is one loss away from falling to the Penguins in the second round for the second straight year.

It would also mark the Capitals' ninth playoff series loss in 10 tries against Pittsburgh and more of the same for a team that hasn't advanced past the second round since the 1997-98 campaign, when it fell in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Capitals deserve some credit for bouncing back in the second period after the deflating Orlov own goal, but Michael Jenkins of CSN noticed there was something missing:

Washington will try to find that killer instinct back at home Saturday for Game 5. If it doesn't, another incredible regular season will come to an early playoff end.