Penguins Don’t Know Whether to Cry or Wind Their Watches

Mike Lange reminded the Pittsburgh Penguins of some of their bygone glories Saturday afternoon.

The Washington Capitals spent a good chunk of the few hours that followed reminding the Penguins just how far they are from doing anything more than talking about being a championship contender.

A video that was part of the pregame ceremony at PPG Paints Arena honoring Lange’s life and career included a few of his epic goal calls, like on Mario Lemieux’s first in the NHL and Max Talbot’s Cup-winner in 2009, Trouble is, the 8-3 Washington victory that followed was the latest evidence of just how distant such high points are.

The Penguins actually turned in an impressive, fairly sound, effort for 30 minutes, but then unraveled in the back half of the second period.

“We beat ourselves, so many different ways,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s the most disappointing part of it.”

The loss dropped the Penguins’ record to 23-26-9.

Washington, which entered the third period with a 6-2 lead, spent much of those 20 minutes on the power play and went up by five on a man-advantage goal by Dylan Strome at 13:11.

Danton Heinen knocked in a Philip Tomasino rebound 71 seconds later for his seventh of the season and first in five games since returning to the Penguins before Brandon Duhaime closed out the scoring by beating Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist from close range at 17:19.

The only three of Washington’s 18 skaters who failed to register at least one point were Alex Ovechkin, Nic Dowd and former Penguins center Lars Eller.

Sidney Crosby, who had missed the final two games before the NHL’s Four Nations tournament break with an arm problem, was in the Penguins’ lineup and scored their second goal. So was center Evgeni Malkin, who was activated off injured-reserve after missing the previous six games because of an unspecified lower-body injury, but first-line right winger Bryan Rust remained on IR after falling ill Friday night.

Washington took a 1-0 lead at 5:13 of the opening period when third-line right winger Ethan Frank knocked a puck past Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from the left side of the crease. The scoring sequence was reviewed, but it was determined that, while the puck had struck Frank’s skate, he had not kicked it into the net.

The Penguins got a power play at 14:36, when Eller was sent off for hooking, but failed to get any of their three shots past Capitals goalie Logan Thompson.

Washington was shorthanded again at 17:04, and the Penguins took full advantage that time.

With Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun serving a holding minor, Kris Letang lashed a slap shot past Thompson from above the left dot at 18:21. The goal, Letang’s eighth, netted assists for Malkin and Tomasino.

Defenseman Martin Fehervary restored Washington’s lead 70 seconds into the second period, capping an odd-man break by snapping a shot past Nedeljkovic from above the left hash mark.

Crosby countered for the Pittsburgh Penguins at 6:36, squeezing a backhander between Thompson’s pads from inside the right circle. Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson got assists on the goal, Crosby’s 18th of the season and 610th of his career, tying him with Bobby Hull for 18th place on the NHL’s all-time list.

The back-and-forth continued when Chychrun put the puck between the skates of defenseman Vincent Desharnais before beating Nedeljkovic from the left hash at 10:38.

Washington put the game out of reach — and Nedeljkovic on the bench — with two goals in an eight-second span later in the period.

Chychrun moved the Capitals in front by two at 14:17, using a Tom Wilson screen to get a shot from the top of the left circle past Nedeljkovic.

The Washington fans in the crowd were still celebrating that goal when right winger Aliaksei Protas made it 5-2 on a shot from above the left hash.

Sullivan promptly replaced Nedeljkovic, who was beaten five times on 14 shots, with Blomqvist, who was greeted by a Wilson deflection that swelled Washington’s advantage to 6-2 at 18:05.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to close out this two-game homestand Sunday against the New York Rangers at 3:38 p.m.