Vying for control of their second-round series, the Penguins and Capitals served up a taut Game 4 thriller last night before a sellout throng at Consol Energy Center. Indeed, the Pens’ 3-2 overtime victory was packed with enough plot twists and momentum shifts to do Alfred Hitchcock proud.
The opening scene bore an uncanny resemblance to the closing act of Game 3. Dominant once more, Washington pounded the Pens’ patched-up defense with a heavy forecheck. Snatching the lead on a sharp-angle backhander by hustling Jay Beagle, the visitors controlled the tempo through much of the first period, piling up a 16-12 edge in shots on goal.
Fortunately for the locals, rookie goalie Matt Murray (34 saves) regained his fabled composure. While the Caps’ initial push lost its steam, the Pens found their legs. Midway through the period Trevor Daley knotted the score with his first goal of the playoffs. The mobile defenseman—who logged a heroic 28:41 of ice time in Kris Letang’s absence—gathered in a pass from Sidney Crosby and cut loose a slap shot. The puck hit Caps defender Karl Alzner and slipped between a converging Crosby and Matt Niskanen before trickling through Braden Holtby’s wicket.
Their speed game suddenly in top gear, the Penguins took charge. The black-and-gold surge carried over into the second period, when veteran Matt Cullen finished off a nice bit of teamwork by his ‘mates.
Subbing for injured Eric Fehr, rookie Oskar Sundqvist beat Alex Ovechkin to a loose puck off a faceoff and fed Brian Dumoulin. The rangy defenseman banked a pass off the sideboards to Tom Kuhnhackl, who tipped it ahead to a breaking Cullen. The 39-year-old wonder sped past Nicklas Backstrom and slid the puck beneath Holtby’s right pad.
The Pens seemed a goal away from putting the Capitals out of their collective misery. However, after the home team misfired on a suddenly ineffective power play, Washington got a second wind. Three-time Cup winner Justin Williams harassed Derrick Pouliot into a turnover. After picking the young defender’s pocket, Williams found John Carlson cruising uncovered through the right circle, courtesy of a blown assignment by Conor Sheary. Carlson beat Murray high to the glove side to knot the score at 2-2.
The final period was a virtual tug o’ war on ice, as neither rival was able to gain clear-cut control. Cullen missed a goal by inches when his laser off the rush rang harmlessly off the crossbar. Minutes later Murray snared T.J. Oshie’s wrister to keep the score tied.
Alzner provided the Penguins with a golden opportunity late in the frame when he flattened Crosby near the side of the net to earn a high-sticking call. Once again the Pens’ power play fizzled.
The bounces seemed to favor Washington. But in the overtime stare-down, the Capitals flinched first. Native son Mike Weber intercepted a Sheary pass, but flubbed his one-handed clearing attempt. Patric Hornqvist gobbled up the loose puck and ripped it between Holtby’s legs for the game-winner.
Visibly upset, Holtby skated to the Caps’ bench and smashed his stick off the top of the dasher boards. Meanwhile, the black and gold poured off the bench like bees buzzing around a hive to mob Hornqvist.
The intro to the old Wide World of Sports show described it perfectly.
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Fehr Out
Fehr missed last night’s game with an undisclosed injury. He’s questionable to return for Game 5 Saturday night in Washington.
While Sundqvist replaced Fehr, Justin Schultz filled in for the suspended Letang. The former University of Wisconsin star played nearly 18 minutes and registered two shots on goal and three hits, along with a blocked shot.
Steve Oleksy, Tom Sestito and Jeff Zatkoff were healthy scratches.
Crosby Okay
Crosby absorbed a wicked slash from arch-nemesis Ovechkin six minutes into the final frame. Fearing the worst, the Pens’ captain exited to the locker room, smashing his stick on the wall in frustration.
Sid returned to the ice a few minutes later no worse for the wear. Afterward, he absolved Ovechkin of any wrongdoing.
“I don’t think there was any intention there,” Crosby explained to Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “He’s trying to clear it. I’m trying to keep a puck in. He’s trying to make sure that I don’t. Caught me there, but that’s part of it.”
Where is our Power Play…haven’t won one in over 12 tries. Need a new PP coach. When you continue with the same PP unit with no result you need to change the unit. Our PP is pathetic.
Hey SC Pens Fan,
I’m no expert, but here’s my two cents.
Too many cooks, for one. With Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Letang on the same unit, there just aren’t enough pucks to go around. While it’s understandable to a degree, I think our guys spend too much time deferring to one another. It’s no accident that the power play was clicking when Malkin was out of the lineup.
That’s not a knock on Geno. Again…too many cooks.
Too much east-west, for another. This may be related to the elite skill level on our top unit, but we revert to passing the puck around the perimeter in search of the perfect shot whenever a more direct approach fails.
What’s Sullivan’s favored style? Get pucks and bodies to the net? The Pens do the opposite on the power play when things don’t go their way.
Lest we forget, the Capitals factor into our struggles, too. They’re excellent on the PK.
Hey Rick,
Although I am very hopeful, I am not yet ready to count the Caps out. Until the Pens find a way to solve Washington’s PK, the Caps will feel free to step across the line into the dirty play area and pummel the Pens ala Philadelphia.
On the plus side, the Pens do have a pretty good ally; the pressure has to be through the roof on the Caps. Trotz was showing signs of it on the Caps bench. The Caps have won the President’s Trophy and have been odds on favorite to win the Cup all season. No, I wouldn’t want to be in the pressure cooker of the Caps locker room.
I do fear what they might try in game 5. They do have a lot of talented players but they are not above cheap shots. We may see if the suspension of Letang means that NHLs front office really has 0-tolerance for dangerous plays, regardless of who the offender is.
I guess we all need to buckle up, players and fans, for the frenzy that game 5 should prove to be.
Sorry for the typo, my spell check doesn’t seem to be working and I must have been writing too fast, I obviously didn’t mean slove but solve Was’s PK
I like slove better … 🙂
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get my mixes worded up … 🙂
Hey Other Rick,
What’s the old saying? A 3-1 lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey?
Granted, it refers to an in-game lead. But it could apply to a series lead, too. Teams have rallied from 3-games-to-1 deficits (or worse) to win a series 23 times in NHL history. Eight of those comebacks have occurred since 2000.
Not that I think the Pens are going to blow it. They’re too well grounded. But we shouldn’t count our chickens before they hatch, either.
Looking at things objectively, we clearly were the better team in Game 2. Washington dominated Game 3…and lost. Games 1 and 4 were fairly even.
A break going the other way…and who knows?
I hear ya’ about the power play. Alzner handed us a gift at the end of Game 4, but we reverted back to standing around and passing the puck around the perimeter. We need to get “pucks and bodies to the net,” as Sullivan is fond of saying.
Still, power play aside, I couldn’t be happier with the way we’re playing … 🙂
GO PENS!
Hey Guys,
Sorry to be the over optimistic one,but I truly believe the Cap’s are done for. I know I sound like a worn out record ,however at the start of the Play offs everyone including myself said our defense could not stand up to the Elite teams. Well, we just beat the best team in the league with our two best d men not playing. Go figure…
Our goal tenders were not good enough to beat the elite teams.
Again we just beat the ” best Goalie ” in the conference with our number 3 Goalie in our system, not once but three times. Go figure…
Our forwards can not match the fire power of the mighty Cap’s. Well, three out of four we did and from where I sit, the mighty Cap’s have no answer for the Bonino line and the play of Matt Cullen.
Crosby and Malkin will have a big game….They are due !!
The elephant in the room will be the Cap’s fans themselves come the third period and their team is trailing by two goals and they will be Booing the team and calling for the head of Barry Trotz on a plate. I pity the Capitals in game 5 given all the past failures.
Lets go Pen’s !
I hope you’re right … 🙂
Hi Rick
Final point. I have been asking myself this wrong question all series.What is wrong with the Caps ?
The correct question in my opinion should be….
WHAT IS RIGHT WITH THE PENS??
Took me long enough to figure it out…Stupid me.
Have a great day.
Jim