Games
Pittsburgh Penguins 3 - Washington Capitals 4 (OT)
Pittsburgh started strong in the first five minutes, but the tide started to go in Washington's favour after that. A powerplay kept their momentum going, but they could not find the back of the net on it. Midway through the period, Washington would strike. Pittsburgh turned over the puck on a rush and Washington took it the other way on a 3-on-1. Jason Chimera's shot was stopped, but Andre Burakovsky was there to bury the rebound. The Capitals kept up the pressure, looking to add to their lead, but could not do so. The Penguins' got a turn to go on the man advantage but could not take advantage of the powerplay. The first period ended with Washington up 1-0. Pittsburgh wasn't sitting back, as they come out firing in the second. It took a while, but finally the Penguins broke through. Nick Bonino dangled into the Capitals zone and got a shot on Braden Holtby. Holtby stopped the shot, but Ben Lovejoy was in the right spot to tuck home the rebound and tie the game. Less than a minute later, Evgeni Malkin cut in, received a pass, and backhanded a shot over Holtby's shoulder, making it 2-1 for Pittsburgh. That lead didn't last long, as T.J. Oshie skated in on a breakaway and roofed one past Murray. Shots would be exchanged, but neither team could break the deadlock before the end of the period. It didn't mean there wasn't action though, as Jay Beagle provided some comic relief, getting a stick wedge in his visor. The second period ended with both teams tied 2-2. The tie was broken minutes into the third period. Alexander Ovechkin slid a pass over to Oshie, who managed to beat Matt Murray five-hole. A bit of 4-on-4 was played, with the Penguins dominating on the opened-up ice. Despite that, it wasn't until minutes after when they tied the game. A tic-tac-toe play resulted in Bonino getting the puck in the slot and snapping it past Holtby (his shot may have been deflected by a defender). A powerplay later on gave the Capitals a chance to regain the lead. They came close, as Matt Niskanen hit the post and Chimera could not get enough on the rebound to finish it. A late push by Washington resulted in nothing, as the game was tied 3-3 after 60 minutes. Both teams had about the same number of shots in overtime, but only one of them managed to go into a net. Oshie looked to be the hero for Washington, scoring on a wraparound to complete his hat trick. A review was needed first, and it was determined that the puck crossed the line just enough to count. Washington wins 4-3 in overtime, giving them a 1-0 lead in the series.
Pittsburgh Penguins 2 - Washington Capitals 1
Washington looked to keep their momentum going after winning Game 1. The first period was mostly Pittsburgh's though, as they took control after an early Washington penalty. Even with the man advantage though, the Penguins could not find the back of the net. The Capitals got a few chances of their own late, but Murray was there to stop them. The first period ended as it started, with both teams tied 0-0. Pittsburgh was once again on the attack early in the second thanks to a powerplay. They could not score on the man advantage, but they did get the opening goal later in the period. Nick Bonino went around the net and found an open Carl Hagelin in the slot. Hagelin wasted no time in shooting the puck past Holtby to make it 1-0 Penguins. The Capitals almost tied it up minutes later, but Jason Chimera's shot rang off the far post. Pittsburgh had a couple more powerplays in the period, but could not use them to extend their lead. Washington looked to have tied the game, with Nate Schmidt burying a rebound. The goal was immediately waved off though, as Evgeni Kuznetsov fell down on Murray just before, rendering the goaltender unable to attempt a save. Kuznetsov would get a penalty for goaltending interference, but Washington managed to kill it. The second period ended with Pittsburgh up 1-0. Washington would be the beneficiaries of an early powerplay in the third, and they made good use of it. John Carlson's point shot was blocked and trickled into the crease. Marcus Johansson was in the right spot, tapping home the loose puck to tie the game. Play would go back-and-forth for a while, with the Capitals getting most of the quality chances. It wasn't until there was less than five minutes left when the tied would be broken. Malkin passed into the slot, where Eric Fehr managed to get his stick on the puck and redirect it past Holtby. Washington pressed in the remaining minutes, but even with the extra attacker, could not find another tying goal. Pittsburgh held on to win 2-1, tying the series.
Washington Capitals 2 - Pittsburgh Penguins 3
The series headed to Pittsburgh tied. It was the visiting team who got off to a hot start, but nothing would come of it for the Capitals. The Penguins took over minutes later, and would not waste their opportunities. Trevor Daley's point shot would be tipped by Hornqvist and bounce past a screened Holtby to open the scoring for the home team. A minute later, a rush saw Matt Cullen's pass get tipped up, hit Tom Kuhnhackl's back, and go past Holtby. Washington turned up the pressure, looking to get on the board. Even with a couple powerplays though, they could not beat Murray (or the goalpost). Pittsburgh ended the first period up 2-0. Washington wasn't backing down, putting up shot after shot. It was Pittsburgh who would get the lone goal of the period though, as Hagelin tapped in a pass from Bonino. The 14-6 shot discrepancy in the period meant nothing for the Capitals, as the Penguins led 3-0 after two period. To Washington's credit, they did not let the score get to them. They would eventually break through, as Ovechkin's wrister from the point beat Murray, breaking the shutout. The Capitals kept up the pressure, but even a powerplay was not helpful. They pulled Holtby late for an extra attacker, and that worked for them. Ovechkin hit the post, but Justin Williams put home the rebound, pulling Washington to within a goal of tying the game. They would run out of time though, as Pittsburgh held on to kill off the remaining 56 seconds. The 3-2 win put Pittsburgh in the series lead.
Washington Capitals 2 - Pittsburgh Penguins 3 (OT)
It didn't take long for Washington to get the opening goal in this one. Three minutes into the game, Beagle beat Murray with a sharp-angle backhand, making it 1-0 for the Capitals. It wasn't until midway through the period for the Penguins to respond. Daley's shot bounced off a defender and trickled past Holtby before he could adjust. The weird goal tied the game for the Penguins. Powerplays were prevalent late in the first, with both teams swapping multiple man advantages. It would not amount to much though, as it remained tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. Pittsburgh broke the deadlock minutes into the middle frame, as Cullen got behind the defense, collected the loose puck, and snapped it past Holtby to make it 2-1. Pittsburgh continued to press, but failed to extend their lead. Washington tied up late in the second. Williams caused a turnover in offensive zone and hit Carlson with a pass. Carlson proceeded to beat Murray before the Penguins goaltender could get set. It got a bit heated before the period ended, with Tom Wilson and Ian Cole getting offsetting roughing minors. The second period ended with both teams tied a 2-2. Play was back-and-forth to start, but eventually Washington started to take control. While both teams had chances as close calls, neither could score the go-ahead goal. Just like the second period, the third ended with the Capitals and Penguins tied 2-2. Overtime was needed for the second time in this series. Pittsburgh didn't want this one to take too long, and ended it before the extra frame was three minutes old. Mike Weber's attempt to clear the puck from the front of the net ended up putting it on Hornqvist's stick. The Penguin's winger made no mistake, shooting it through a sliding Holtby to win the game. Pittsburgh's 3-2 overtime win put them up 3-1 in the series.
Pittsburgh Penguins 1 - Washington Capitals 3
For the second straight game, the Capitals got an early goal. Thanks to a powerplay minutes into the first, Ovechkin was able to set up and one-time a shot past Murray. The tide woulf change minutes later, as the Penguins found themselves on the man advantage. Pittsburgh threw a lot at Holtby, and eventually found a way to beat him. Chris Kunitz, standing at the top of the crease, would whack the loose puck into the net. Chances were swapped, but again both teams ended a first period tied. Just like the first period, Washington would find themselves on the powerplay after Pittsburgh took a penalty minutes into the period. Ovechkin was able to tee one up, but this time Murray stopped it. Oshie battled for the rebound, and managed to get enough of the puck to put it into the net. Shots were exchanged, and later on in the period, the Capitals managed to extend their lead. Williams would be the beneficiary of a turnover in the Penguins zone. Murray got some of Williams' shot, but not enough, as it trickled by him and into the net. Pittsburgh got a couple of chances late in the period, but Holtby was there to stop them. The second period ended in Washington's favour, as they led 3-1 after 40 minutes. It was a battle in the third, with Pittsburgh looking to close the gap while Washington wanted to widen it. While both teams got their chances, neither goalie wanted to let up another goal. Holtby and Murray held the period scoreless. Washington went on to win 3-1, surviving for one more game.
Washington Capitals 3 - Pittsburgh Penguins 4 (OT)
The Capitals came out firing early, but it was the Penguins who got on the board first. Just under six minutes in, Kessel skated over the blueline and released a long wrist shot, beating Holtby. The action would pick up later in in the period, with both teams exchanging shots. The puck stayed out of either net though, as Pittsburgh ended the first period up 1-0. This continued early in the second, but eventually the Penguins started to control play thanks to a double-minor penalty by Brooks Orpik. Pittsburgh did not waste that opportunity. Kessel managed to cut out in front and slip the puck around Holtby's outstretched pad, doubling Pittsburgh's lead. Only 33 seconds later, Hagelin tipped Olli Maatta's point shot into the Washington net. The Capitals started to push back, but it wasn't until late in the period when they responded. Oshie scored on the powerplay to finally put Washington on the board. Pittsburgh was still in the lead though, up 3-1 after two periods. The Penguins didn't sit on their two-goal lead, as they came out pressing, looking to extend it. The opposite would happen though, with Williams skating out from behind the net and beating Murray. Penalty trouble would befall the Penguins midway through the period, as they were called for flipping the puck over the glass three times. The last one would be the killer. John Carlson stepped into a one-timer and beat Murray on the 5-on-3, tying the game. Both teams looked to break the deadlock before the period ended, but it didn't happen. The game remained tied 3-3 after 60 minutes, meaning overtime was needed again. Pittsburgh looked to put this away early, and managed to get the Washington defense scrambling. Daley had an open net to shoot at, but Beagle dove in, stopping the puck with his stick. The heroics only delayed the game's conclusion for a couple minutes though. Hagelin has his shot stopped, but Bonino was there, free in the slot, to put home the rebound. Bonino's goal won the game 4-3 for Pittsburgh. The win was the Penguins' fourth of the series, as they now move on to the conference finals.
Three Thoughts on the Series
- Poor Ovechkin, he played really well, but his team could not get past the second round.
- Poor Capitals as well, this was probably the best team they've ever had, and just ran into a good Penguins team.
- This was a great series. Pretty neat that all but one game was decided by a single goal (unless you are a Caps fan).
Jay Beagle's luck with sticks wasn't great in Game 1...
Highlight of the Series
...Game 6 on the other hand...
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