Schedule and 2017-18 Results
Regular Season Records: Washington 49-26-7=105pts, Pittsburgh 47-29-6=100pts
Game 1 on Thursday 26 April: Pittsburgh wins at Washington, 3-goals-2
Game 2 on Sunday 29 April: Pittsburgh loses at Washington, 4-goals-1
Game 3 on Tuesday 1 May: Washington wins at Pittsburgh, 4-goals-3
Game 4 on Thursday 3 May: Washington loses at Pittsburgh, 3-goals-1
Game 5 on Saturday 5 May: Pittsburgh loses at Washington, 6-goals-3
Game 6 on Monday 7 May: Washington wins at Pittsburgh, 2-goals-1 (OT)

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Washington Capitals visited and bested the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-goals-1 in overtime to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1362 victory. With the series 1362 win, the Washington Capitals improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 16-25 overall and 3-11 in the Quarterfinals round. With the series 1362 loss, the Pittsburgh Penguins see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 38-23 overall and 10-11 in the Quarterfinals round. The win order for the victorious Washington Capitals in series 1362 was LWWLWW: Series 1362 thus becomes the fourth NHL Quarterfinals-round series, the 21st NHL series (all rounds), and the 35th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The Washington Capitals thus win their first NHL Quarterfinals series in twenty years, and in so doing end the two-year championship run of their archrival Pittsburgh Penguins.

After Game 5: The Washington Capitals hosted and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-goals-3 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1362 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 10-6 and a Game 6 record of 8-8. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 7-7 and a Game 6 record of 7-7. The Pittsburgh Penguins have trailed a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2 a total of 14 times in their history: In each case, their Game 6 outcome has matched their series outcome (i.e., the Penguins have a 7-0 Game 7 record upon having trailed a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2 and won Game 6). The Penguins also have a perfect 6-0 Game 7 record on the road (which is where a series 1362 Game 7 would be played).

After Game 4: The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted and bested the Washington Capitals 3-goals-1 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1362 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 6-9 and a Game 5 record of 7-8 (with an active four-Game 5 winning streak), while the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 15-8 (with an active five-series winning streak) and a Game 5 record of 14-9.

After Game 3: The Washington Capitals visited and bested the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-goals-3 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1362 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 6-11 and a Game 4 record of 11-6. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 9-9 and a Game 4 record of 10-8. The Washington Capitals trailed the Penguins in Pittsburgh by a goal as late as 5:05 into the third period, but won series 1362 Game 3. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games in which the road team trailed by one goal as late as 5:05 into the third period, the road team game record was 139-620 (.183). In their last seven best-of-7 NHL playoff series in which they have trailed 2-games-1, the Game 4 outcome for the Pittsburgh Penguins has matched their series outcome (three wins, four losses).

After Game 2: The Washington Capitals hosted and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-goals-1 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1362 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 10-14 and a Game 3 record of 10-14, while the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 16-13 (with an active five-series winning streak) and a Game 3 record of 18-11.

After Game 1: The Pittsburgh Penguins visited and defeated the Washington Capitals 3-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1362 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 23-7 (with an active nine-series winning streak) and a Game 2 record of 19-11. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 8-9 and a Game 2 record of 9-8. Pittsburgh trailed the Capitals in Washington by two goals as late as 2:58 into the third period of series 1362 Game 1, but won. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2017, inclusive, road teams down two goals as late as 2:58 into the third period had a game record of 25-456 (.052). The Pittsburgh comeback thus becomes the in-game comeback of the Spring 2018 playoff season to date. The first goal of series 1362 Game 1, by the host Washington Capitals 0:17 into the first period, is the third-fastest goal from the start of a game ever by the home team in a best-of-7 NHL Quarterfinals-round playoff game.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2017-18 NHL regular season, the Washington Capitals finished five points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins. From 1939 through the 2018 NHL Preliminary round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by five regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 26-14 (.650) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1362 is the 41st best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Washington Capitals, and the 61st for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Washington Capitals have an all-rounds series record of 15-25, a Quarterfinals-round series record of 2-11 with an active six-series losing streak, and a Game 1 record of 23-17, while the Pittsburgh Penguins have an all-rounds series record of 38-22 (with an active nine-series winning streak befitting a two-time defending NHL champion), a Quarterfinals-round series record of 10-10, and a Game 1 record of 30-30. Series 1362 is the eleventh best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh has won nine of their ten previous best-of-7 NHL playoff series meetings with Washington, and has won seven consecutive best-of-7 playoff series against Washington. The Capitals prevailed in series 652, in the 1994 NHL Preliminary round against the Penguins.