Pens Oust Caps Again

(AP) — The Brooklyn Dodgers had the New York Yankees in the 1940s and '50s. The Los Angeles Lakers had the Boston Celtics in the 1960s. And the Washington Capitals have had the Pittsburgh Penguins forever.

The Pens have advanced to the NHL's Eastern Conference finals with yet another series victory over the Caps. Marc-Andre Fleury turned back 29 shots as the defending Stanley Cup champs earned a 2-0 shutout of the Capitals. Fleury was sensational at times in helping Pittsburgh take a Game 7 from the Caps for the fourth time in four tries.

Neither team scored until Bryan Rust beat Braden Holtby 8:49 into the second period. Patric Hornqvist doubled the Penguins' lead with 15:46 remaining.

It's the 10th playoff series between the two teams, and the ninth in which the Penguins have eliminated the Capitals. It's also the second straight season in which the Capitals have won the Presidents' Trophy as the regular-season champs before falling to Pittsburgh in the second round.

The Penguins now prepare for the Ottawa Senators, who knocked out the Rangers in six games.

The Western Conference finals will have the Anaheim Ducks taking on the Nashville Predators.

The Ducks pulled out a Game 7 victory as Nick Ritchie scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period of a 2-1 triumph over Edmonton. Andrew Cogliano also tallied for the Ducks, who had dropped five straight Game 7s.

John Gibson stopped 23 shots and blanked the Oilers after Drake Caggiula scored 3 ½ minutes into the game.

NHL-PREDATORS-SUBBAN

Preds blueliner fined

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban has been fined $2,000 for embellishment after taking a hit from St. Louis Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson during the Western Conference semifinals.

Subban and Edmundson had received offsetting minor penalties after the incident took place during Game 4.