The Penguins and Capitals Destiny:

Destiny sure seems like a Lady this morning. When I woke up this morning there were strains of a song from one of my favorite bands (a band who hails from the land of Hockey – Canada).

“There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance
A host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance”

Back when these playoffs started I wrote that although I do think the Washington Capitals have a lot of talented players, I still thought our favorite flightless fowl had the edge on this team. I wrote that there is a monkey on the Capitals’ back that would see our Penguins through. Last night’s game seems to reaffirm, in me, that assessment.

This morning, despite some words to the opposite, I would be willing to bet that some of the Capitals are willing to believe that there is a “host of holy horrors” directing their “aimless dance”. After the Game, it was reported that Nicklas Backstrom slammed his stick and was overheard saying “this league”, preceding it with an expletive. Furthermore, Coach Barry Trotz challenged a goal for Goalie interference, where there was no chance of being over turned. That challenge appears to be an act of desperation. So, it would appear that at least these 2-Capitals may see themselves as “play things, who dance upon the strings of powers they could not perceive”.

Perhaps the “planets aren’t aligned” for the Capitals. Or maybe it is just a case of those planets being aligned for Jake Guentzel, who is still burning red hot. Regardless of whether or not the planets are aligned for Guentzel or aren’t aligned for the Capitals, Domink Simon tried to one-touch, redirect a Sidney Crosby pass on net. However, the attempted shot pinballed off of ex-Penguin Matt Niskanen on to the stick of Guentzel. Guentzel wasted little time in depositing the puck in the back of the net.

In the end it may a little of both. “The gods may be malign” for the Capitals since they weren’t satisfied with the help they already received and kept tempting fate. Tom Wilson got away with his attempt to injure Brain Dumoulin. Emboldened by his free pass on that play he gambled one more play, this time on Zach Aston-Reese. In game terms he got away with it. In fact, that blown call by the referees allowed him to be on the ice to kick Olli Maatta’s skates out from under him (slew footed him). But like all gamblers the laws of probability caught up with him and the league finally suspended him.

That suspension may serve to be a most costly play. Without Wilson’s over-the-line play Alex Ovechkin was a bit of a non-factor. Wilson’s hulking frame and deliberate attempts to injure certainly open up the ice for Ovechkin.

“Blame is better to give than receive”

It is doubtful that the Capitals will be willing to admit that Wilson in particularly and the whole team in general are to blame for their loss. Even after Wilson’s suspension the Capitals were still seen straying over the line. On Guentzel’s opening tally, Dimtri Orlov dangerously cross-checked Guentzel in the back, sending him head first toward the goal post. Orlov did not really enter the scene until after the puck was coming back out of the net. The karma (if you believe in that) that may be coming back to the Capitals cannot be all that good.

All in all the doubts are certainly surfacing in the Capitals’ minds and regardless of who is to blame, the door is back opened for the Penguins to continue their quest for a 3-peat.

3elieve!!!

Odds and Sods

Was that Evgeni Malkin, I saw, channeling Patric Hornqvist, diving to the ice to shove in a rebound goal to take the lead, a goal that would prove to be the game winner? Luck was on the Capitals’ side earlier in the series as Toronto over-turned an obvious Hornqvist. However, luck is a fickle lady and the officials in Toronto found their glasses. They were finally able to see the white ice between the goal line and the puck.

Matt Murray was on his game last night. He controlled his rebounds and played his angles much better. He looked like the Matt Murray from last year. The only goal he ceded was a power play goal from between the circles. He played well enough to earn the 2nd Star of the Game (Guentzel was the 1st Star).

Although the Penguins’ defense is still giving up dangerous scoring chances, they continued doing a good job cutting down the total number of shots. More importantly they seemed to have learned their lesson from game 3, late in the game, rather than pinching in to keep the play alive and risk an odd man break, they backed off and supported one another to keep the puck in front of them, rather than letting it behind them and having to chase it. In fact, when the Defense to jump up, I saw a lot of forwards cycling back to cover the open point.