Washington capitals do not need a history lesson. Neither Winnipeg Jets in this regard.
The capitals are well aware of their propensity for opportunity after the opportunity eludes, often at the hands of Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh penguins.
And just in case, when Alex Ovechkin and his teammates forget about their play-off mistakes, they only need to step in front of the camera or microphone, where the same questions are asked year after year.
Work that in the past was too big. Four previous times in the era of Ovechkin - including in 2009 and 2017 against Pittsburgh - "Capitals" won three games in the second round of the playoffs. This is the fourth one, which turned out to be elusive.
No pressure or anything else. All Washington needs to do to make a cathartic breakthrough - these are the penguins that lost their first series in 37 months.
Pittsburgh never lost a qualifying game under head coach Mike Sullivan, capturing a couple of games 7 - including a 2-0 shutout in Washington in the second round - during his run on the second straight Cup last spring and rallying out a 3-2 deficit against Tampa Bay in finals of the Eastern Conference two years ago.
"They know what it takes to win," Sullivan said. "They are not afraid of problems, and they cover such situations."
To become the first team in 35 years to earn three consecutive titles, penguins really do not have a choice.
They were the best team for long stretches in game 5 just for the "Capitals" to get past them in the third period to win 6-3 - the second time in three games Pittsburgh lost in regulation when he headed after two, something did not get do generally in the regular season.
It does not matter. Quick recovery and moving forward was something of a sullivan. Penguins 17-5 after losing the playoffs with Sullivan on the bench.
At least, the capitals put themselves in place for the playoffs. This is unlikely to refer to jet planes that, until a month ago, won exactly zero games in the postseason in 18 years of their existence and now are in one victory from the final of the Western Conference.
"We are focused on what gives us success throughout the year, and it's just looking for a way to win one hockey game. If we can do this, then when everything is said and done, you reflect on the season, and you will think about what you could achieve, and the scale of the situation. But we can not do this anymore than the game. "
This is a feeling long familiar in Washington. On Sunday, the captains received good news when coach Barry Trotz said that the center Niklas Backstrom will leave with the team after leaving in the third period of game 5 with an upper-body injury.
The one who is on the ice, will be forced to withhold the weight of playoff failures, one Trots is sure that his team is finally ready to brush off forever.
"I can tell you that there is no player, coach, coach, owner (general manager) who does not try to do everything possible to win this series," Trotsz said. "Believe me, we try our best, and in the end it's all we can promise."
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