This was exactly how it was supposed to go: Playing without not one but two of their best players, on the road, in Pittsburgh – the perennial boogeyman to steal every Washingtonian dream of playoff elation.
For children of the curse, the ones who grew up knowing the teams would bring them happiness while in school and wilt when summer vacation loomed, this victory is a confirmation of something they always believed (at least, believed was possible at some point in history; maybe not this time against Carey Price, or this time against Marc-Andre Fleury, or this time against Matt Murray, or that other time against Fluery).