\[RELATED: Complete Penguins vs. Capitals series coverage | Matchup: Crosby vs. Ovechkin, Game 5\]
On the ensuing power play, Crosby took a pass down low to the left of Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby. He passed to Evgeni Malkin in the right circle, Malkin one-touched a pass across the slot to Phil Kessel low in the left circle, and Kessel one-timed it into the net. The Penguins had a 2-1 lead 4:20 into the second period.
Easy.
Except this isn't as easy as the Penguins have made it look for most of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Capitals scored three goals in the third period and won 4-2, and now the Penguins will have to try again to eliminate them, leading the best-of-7 series 3-2 with Game 6 at Pittsburgh on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).
"It wasn't our best," goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. "It was disappointing not to finish it off."
Crosby and teammate Conor Sheary returned from concussions sustained in Game 3 May 1.
The NHL Concussion Evaluation and Management Protocol states there is no mandatory amount of time a player must sit out following a concussion. A player must satisfy three criteria to return: no concussion-related symptoms at rest, no concussion-related symptoms at exertion levels required for competition and a return to neurocognitive baseline. The team doctor is solely responsible for the decision.
Crosby skated three days in a row. Sheary skated for at least two days. Each participated in a full-contact practice and passed baseline testing Friday, and the Penguins doctor cleared each before the game Saturday. Crosby played 19:10, took three shots on goal and won 15 of 22 faceoffs (68 percent). Sheary played 14:03 and had a shot on goal.
"Felt good," Crosby said.
That's good news for the Penguins, obviously. Crosby won the Conn Smythe Trophy when the Penguins won the Cup last year, is a finalist for the Hart Trophy this season and is playing at a high level in the playoffs with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in nine games. Sheary has struggled at times but can play a top-six role.
But even with them in the lineup, even though they dispatched the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games in the first round and took a 3-1 lead on the Capitals, the Penguins have struggled with possession in these playoffs. They have been outshot in nine of their 10 games, spent too much time in their zone and relied on Fleury, blocked shots and opportunistic scoring. It is not normally a recipe for success.