Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin each scored 1st period goals but  the difference in the game was Tomas Fleischmann who scored the tiebreaking goal with 18:14 remaining in the third period as the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Saturday afternoon at the Verizon center to take a 1-0 series lead.
The hype surrounding this series has centered around Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin and both players answered the bell in game 1.
 The two superstars each scored 1st period goals and Crosby was the Penguins best player on the ice but it wasn’t enough for the Penguins.
Rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov rebounded from allowing a soft tying goal by Mark Eaton in the second period, to make 34 saves and win his 5th playoff game in seven starts of the 09 post-season.
 Varlamov made a highlight reel save on Sidney Crosby late in the second period who had a wide open net that would have put the Penguins up 3-2 going into the third period.
Varlamov, 21,  shut the door on the Penguins in the third period who outshot the Capitals 13-6 in the third.The Penguins were 0-for-6 on the power play and failed to capitalize on two power play opportunities in the third period.
Sidney Crosby (5) and Mark Eaton (3) scored for the Penguins. Goaltender Marc Andre Fleury made 23 saves in the loss. After scoring only 4 goals during the regular season, defenseman Mark Eaton is 3rd on the Penguins with three goals in the post-season.
The Penguins outshot the Capitals 36-26
In a surprise turn of events, winger Petr Sykora returned to the lineup after being a scratch for the final two games of the Penguins first round series against Philadelphia.
Winger Miroslav Satan was told following the Penguins pregame warm-ups that he was going to be scratched in place of Sykora. Satan practiced with the Penguins second line and worked with the Penguins second power play in Thursday’s and Friday’s practice.
David Steckel. Tomas Fleishmann and Alexander Ovechkin all scored the Capitals.
Game 2 is Monday night at the Verizon Center
