Capitals Dash Penguins’ Three-Peat Hopes

The final play of the Penguins’ aborted 2018 Cup run was somehow symbolic of their star-crossed season. A turnover at the opposing blue line led to a quick-strike opportunity and partial breakaway going the other way, which a foe converted.

Indeed, with the exception of an impressive 10-1-1 stretch leading up to the trade deadline, the Pens never quite overcame their penchant for sloppy, disjointed play…especially in the neutral zone. Nor did they ever quite seem to mesh as a unit. Last night, during a heart-wrenching 2-1 Game 6 overtime loss before a disappointed SRO crowd of 18,621 at PPG Paints Arena, it caught up with them.

Pitted against a seemingly inferior Washington squad that proved to be much greater than the sum of its aggregate parts, the Pens failed to respond with the clutch goals to which we’ve become so accustomed. For most of the night…if not the series…they were unable to penetrate the Capitals’ disciplined defensive spine to generate the precious second-chance opportunities needed to beat goalie Braden Holtby.

Nor, save for a three-minute burst following Kris Letang’s game-tying tally midway through the contest, did they seem to have their legs. It was painfully obvious as the postseason wore on that the grind of the two previous Cup runs had finally exacted a toll. In the end, the Pens were a victim of their own success. They simply ran out of gas.

One player who rose to the occasion? Matt Murray. Razor-sharp, the wiry netminder atoned for his uneven play in Game 5 with 28 saves, many of the highlight-reel variety. In particular, his superb glove save on Evgeny Kuznetsov following a classic bull-versus-matador standoff late in the second period spoke to his remarkable poise and coolness under fire.

Unfortunately, his teammates couldn’t muster enough offensive support to save the day. With their postseason backs to the wall, the Pens managed a paltry 22 shots on goal spread over 65 minutes and change. Pop-gun numbers at best.

Indeed, aside from the dynamic duo of Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel (21 points apiece and 19 goals combined), a team built to score struggled mightily to produce. The bottom six, with newcomer Derick Brassard serving as the poster child, was shockingly ineffective. Ditto big gun Phil Kessel. Traditionally a veritable goal-scoring machine on a big stage, ‘Phil the Thrill’ was a shell of his usual sharpshooting self, likely the result of an undisclosed injury.

The Pens also had difficulty winning puck battles. Team speed seemed to wane as well. While there’s still tons of core talent on hand, general manager Jim Rutherford clearly has some fine-tuning to do over the summer.

Although disappointing, the Pens’ failure to three-peat does nothing to tarnish the team’s glorious achievement of winning back-to-back Cups. If anything, it serves to underscore what a truly amazing feat it was…and is.

Winning a championship requires contributions from literally everyone in the organization, from ownership on down through the superstars and ‘Black Aces.’ Mike Sullivan, the coaching staff and support personnel, too. The fact that the Pens captured consecutive Cups during the salary-cap era speaks volumes to the skill, passion and dedication of everyone involved.

On behalf of myself and everyone at PenguinPoop, I thank the Penguins from the bottom of my heart for rewarding us fans with such a glorious treasure trove of hockey moments. From Patric Hornqvist’s suitably ugly Cup-clinching goal last season to Letang’s artful laser in ’16 to the unforgettable ‘Bonino, Bonino, Bonino,’ they’re forever etched in my memory.

Thank you Sid, Geno, Horny, Thriller, Tanger, Jake, Murr, Dumo, Rusty and Hags, not to mention Bones, Cully, Kuni, Flower and all the rest, for giving everything you had to give…and more. You defined the very spirit of a champion.

It’s truly been my joy, honor and privilege to cheer you on.