No pressure, Alex Ovechkin.

The Washington Capitals captain put Game 5 out of reach Saturday night, as the crew in D.C. kept its season alive against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 4-2 win. Just as teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov predicted.

"I know (Ovechkin) gonna step up for sure," Kuznetsov said, according to the The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno. "You can see how he play today, that's our captain."

And Kuznetsov is predicting even bigger and better things for Ovechkin in Game 6 on Monday night:

Kuznetsov scored a big goal of his own Saturday, giving the Capitals a third-period lead they wouldn't relinquish. He has goals in three straight games and four in five games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a quiet first round, the Russian has stepped up.

"You think I ever feel tight?" Kuznetsov asked, per Whyno. "I (am) always loose, try to enjoy the hockey. I live for those type of games."

There was, however, no customary bird celebration after Kuznetsov's goal.

"Bad karma," he said.

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WASHINGTON - Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin scored 27 seconds apart in the third period as the Washington Capitals avoided elimination by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 in Game 5 on Saturday night.

Nicklas Backstrom tied the score early in the third as the Capitals finally solved Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who allowed four goals on 32 shots. Washington's comeback spoiled the return of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby after a one-game absence due to a concussion.

Crosby had an assist and Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel also scored for the Penguins, who lead the second-round series 3-2 with Game 6 back in Pittsburgh on Monday night.

While Fleury struggled for the first time against the Capitals, Vezina Trophy finalist Braden Holtby had his best game of the series, stopping 20 shots. Andre Burakovsky also scored for Washington.

Even though players were loose at the morning skate facing elimination, the nerves were palpable inside the arena even before puck drop. When an early Capitals power play went nowhere and Hagelin made it 1-0 Pittsburgh 10:24 in, it got quiet fast - except for Penguins fans' derisive chants of ''HOLT-BY, HOLT-BY.''

Burakovsky pumped some energy back in with a psychologically important goal with 29.7 seconds remaining in the first period, his first of the playoffs. He earned a promotion to the top line because of his strong play in the series but scored back with the third line on a toe drag that bought him space and a shot that froze Fleury.

Hours after defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk bemoaned that ill-timed penalties were hurting the Capitals, a holding call on Nate Schmidt paved the way for another momentum shift as Kessel scored on the power play 4:20 into the second. The Penguins went into the second intermission with a lead having won 37 of 39 games in that spot during the regular season and all six in the playoffs.

It took an individual effort from Backstrom to begin Washington's stunning turnaround. The Capitals' top-line center carried the puck up the ice, executed a give-and-go with Burakovsky and beat Fleury for the tying goal at 2:49 of the third.

With the crowd buzzing again, Kuznetsov sparked more chants of ''FLEU-RY, FLEU-RY,'' by scoring the go-ahead goal from a sharp angle 7:20 into the third. It was his fifth goal of the playoffs and fourth in the series.

Ovechkin wasted no time making it 4-2 and making coach Barry Trotz look like a genius for dropping him to the third line as he wired a shot past Fleury at 7:47. Trotz talked about spreading offense throughout the lineup, and his flipping Burakovsky and Ovechkin allowed for Washington's first goal from its bottom two lines in five games.

NOTES: In addition to Crosby, Penguins RW Conor Sheary returned after being concussed Monday in a collision with teammate Patric Hornqvist. ... Capitals D Brooks Orpik appeared to shake his left hand after being slashed by Evgeni Malkin in the first period. ... The Capitals again dressed seven defensemen. ... Super Bowl winning Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien received a nice ovation from the sellout crowd when he was shown on the video boards.

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Although they faced a 3-1 series deficit, no one in their right mind could say the Washington Capitals were playing bad hockey.

The Presidents' Trophy winners were at the mercy - once again - of their nemesis, the Pittsburgh Penguins, despite controlling the majority of play through four games.

Entering Game 5, the Capitals had out-attempted the Penguins 306-180, and they continued the trend Saturday night with one major difference: they scored.

The final count in Game 5 favored Washington 66-52 in all situations, and while their chances of staving off elimination looked grim after 40 minutes, the relentless Capitals attack paid off, at last.

Facing a 2-1 disadvantage, Nicklas Backstrom knotted things early in the third, then goals 27 seconds apart from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin gave the Caps four tallies in a game for the first time in the series.

Marc-Andre Fleury's performance has played a role in the Capitals' poor puck luck, too, but Washington finally broke through, and it couldn't have happened at a better time.

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Kyle Turris scores big-boy goals. Ones that matter. He's been doing it all year for the Ottawa Senators.

His tally Saturday, though, was the most significant of his season - and arguably of his career.

The 27-year-old won Game 5 against the New York Rangers in overtime, going five-hole on Henrik Lundqvist and putting the Senators a win away from the Eastern Conference finals.

Mr. GWG

Turris finished second on the Sens with six game-winning goals during the regular season - only Mike Hoffman had more, with eight.

Saturday's goal was the seventh GWG for Turris, with five of them scored in the third period or later, including three in overtime, and six in one-goal games. No cheapies here:

Rising to the occasion

Turris played 24:58 on Saturday, most among Sens forwards. He finished with three shots on goal, a team-high nine hits, and won 15 of the 23 faceoffs he took. He was a force, precisely when Ottawa needed him to be.

"It's Kentucky Derby day and he was our horse tonight," Senators head coach Guy Boucher said after his team's pivotal win, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

Ottawa is Erik Karlsson's team, of that there's no doubt. But Turris' 27 goals in the regular season led all Sens, and he finished third on the club in scoring with 55 points.

Turris scored an OT winner on opening night, and is still doing the damn thing seven months later. The Senators aren't on the cusp of the final four without him.

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The Ottawa Senators biggest game of the season fell on the same day as the biggest day of the year in horse racing, but you don't have to tell that to head coach Guy Boucher.

After Kyle Turris delivered the overtime winner and provided the Sens a 3-2 series lead over the New York Rangers, Boucher gave an appropriate response when asked about Game 5's hero:

To be fair, it's an apt description of Turris' performance, as the Sens pivot - on top of his game-winner - logged 24:58 of ice time, to go with nine hits, a 65 percent clip in the faceoff circle, and a Corsi-for percentage of 56.76 percent at even strength.

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Sidney Crosby will return to the Pittsburgh Penguins' lineup as they look to close out the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.

Crosby was held out of Game 4 after suffering a concussion from a cross-check to the face courtesy of Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen on Monday.

His return is massive for Pittsburgh, as he's recorded 11 points in eight playoff contests.

Winger Conor Sheary, who was also diagnosed with a concussion, will be back in the lineup as well.

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Ottawa Senators center Kyle Turris beat New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist at the 6:28 mark of the first overtime period in Game 5 Saturday to give Ottawa a 5-4 win.

Turris' third of the playoffs gives Ottawa a 3-2 series lead and sends the Rangers to the brink of elimination.

Game 6 goes Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

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Deja vu.

Down a goal in the dying minutes of Game 5, the Ottawa Senators once again overcame adversity when Derick Brassard batted home a loose puck out of mid-air - and off several New York Rangers - to force overtime.

Ottawa forced overtime late in Game 2 as well, and completed the comeback on the strength of Jean-Gabriel Pageau's winner.

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Acquiring goaltender Scott Darling from the Chicago Blackhawks might not be the last offseason move the Carolina Hurricanes make.

After signing the netminder to a four-year, $16.6-million extension Friday, general manager Ron Francis said the club is open for business, according to NHL.com's Brian Hedger, adding that he's been in constant dialogue with other teams.

Related - Darling: Signing extension with Hurricanes was 'no-brainer'

The team's top priority over the next little while is likely the goaltending position, since with Darling in the fold, it's not clear what Carolina will do with Cam Ward and Eddie Lack.

Francis noted that the upcoming expansion draft might help him out in that regard.

Ward and Lack are under contract through next season and will make a combined $6.05 million - $10.2 million including Darling's contract.

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Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist might be playing the best hockey of his life - and that's saying a lot, considering the illustrious career the future Hall of Famer has put together.

After making the initial save on Ottawa's Mark Stone in Saturday's Game 5, Lundqvist maneuvered his way through crease traffic and went into a full-out dive to rob a Kyle Turris one-timer, keeping the Rangers' lead at 2-1.

Heading into the game, Lundqvist had posted a .937 save percentage and a 1.94 goals-against average in the postseason.

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