(Reuters) - The Pittsburgh Penguins unleashed a five-goal blitz in the second period to overhaul the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Thursday.

The Penguins trailed 1-0 at the first break after Mike Ribeiro put away a rebounding puck early in the match for Washington but came alive in the second to win their fifth straight game.

Evgeni Malkin, Pascal Dupuis, James Neal, Matt Cooke and Sidney Crosby all found the back of the net as the Penguins (8-3-0) took control on top of the Eastern Conference Atlantic division.

Marquee player Alex Ovechkin nailed a power play goal for Washington in the final third but it was merely consolation, as the Capitals remained the worst team in the NHL, now dropping to a 2-8-1 record.

(Reporting by Ben Everill in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)