Capitals Too Much for Our Penguins

Generally when I write my game summaries, it’s usually about what our Penguins did or didn’t do over the course of a contest. But in this instance I’m giving the Capitals their due. Save for an eight-minute window in the third period when we had them on the run, they played a really strong game from goalie Vitek Vanecek on out.

In short, the Caps were the better team and deserved to win. And win they did, besting our boys, 5-2, last night at the Capital One Center in a game that wasn’t as lopsided as the final score would indicate but not super competitive, either.

Special teams played a huge part. After our guys rallied to tie the score at 2-all in the final frame, the Caps cashed in on the power play courtesy of an ill-timed hooking penalty to rookie Drew O’Connor.

Meanwhile, the black and gold reprised their “pass the puck around the perimeter” approach while misfiring on four power plays, for the most part deftly avoiding the prime scoring areas.

You’d think by now Sidney Crosby and company would figure this thing out (SHOOT!!!). But no…

To recap (no pun intended) the Caps grabbed the lead midway through the opening frame on a pretty play by defenseman Nick Jensen, who set up Nicklas Backstrom for a quick snap shot below the circles.

Thanks to another solid outing by Tristan Jarry, the Pens kept it 1-0 entering the third period. Then T.J. Oshie scored on a terrific, diving one-handed pickle stab just past the three-minute mark.

At this stage, dreams of another black-and-gold rally definitely weren’t dancing like sugar plums in my head. But that’s precisely what took place. A minute after Oshie’s tally, Brandon Tanev responded with a little magic of his own. While killing off a hooking penalty to Kris Letang, “Turbo” pounced on a turnover by Alex Ovechkin at the Pens’ blue line and turned on the jets. After slicing across the Caps’ zone, he beat Vanecek through the five-hole for his fifth goal of the season and eighth career shorty.

Exactly three minutes later, Jake Guentzel spun off a check by Brenden Dillon in the corner, bulled his way to the front of the net and stuffed the puck between Vanecek’s pads.

My heart skipped a beat. I thought we might actually steal a point or two in a game we had no business winning.

Alas, it was not to be. O’Connor was sent to the box and Letang’s stick shattered while blocking a shot, essentially leaving us down two men. The Caps patiently waited for a mismatch at the front of the net and got it, with Wilson posting up on “Tanger.” The DC marauder banged home the goal-ahead goal…and game-winner…from the doorstep.

The Caps tacked on a pair of empty-netters, including one by ex-Pen Carl Hagelin, in the closing minutes.

Puckpourri

Washington outshot us, 35-28, and uncharacteristically dominated the faceoff circle as well, winning 61 percent of the draws. They outhit us, 24-21, including a booming late hit by Wilson that sent Mark Jankowski to the locker room for a spell in the first period.

Receiving sheltered minutes (12:51 TOI) Pierre Olivier-Joseph paced the Pens with a plus-two. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust were minus-two each. Rust led the way with five shots on goal, followed by Malkin, Tanev and Mike Matheson with three apiece.

The Pens are presently tied with Philly for fourth place in the MassMutual East Division with a 10-7-1 record and 21 points. The Flyers have two games in hand.

Opiniyinz

I’m concerned about our lack of scoring depth up front, especially with Jason Zucker on the shelf long term. Compounding the issue is the fading production from Sid and Geno. This was one of those games where we could’ve sorely used a big goal or two from our core.

With our top-end scorers aging and perhaps on the wane and output from the fourth line non-existent, it doesn’t leave us with many pistons firing. Too, grafting Zach Aston-Reese onto Malkin’s wing mitigates the effectiveness of our third line.

It’s not a pretty picture. Here’s hoping Jared McCann returns and finds his misplaced scoring touch, post haste.

Not to overstate the obvious. But we really miss Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel on the power play. Kessel, in particular, just took charge. Nobody does that now. Our guys are too busy deferring to each other. You take it, Sid. No, you take it Geno, I insist…

Costly penalty aside, I thought O’Connor played his best game. He skated harder and faster and was more involved.

Kudos for Cody

There haven’t been many instances where the Pens have stood up for each other this season. But Cody Ceci went out of his way to respond to Wilson’s blatant cheap shot, flattening the Caps’ heavy with a hard shoulder check in the neutral zone. When Wilson predictably came back at Cody during a follow-up scrum, the Pens’ defender didn’t back up an inch.

While Ceci doesn’t shy away from contact, it should be noted that he’s not a pugilist and has never engaged in a fight during his eight seasons in the NHL. In fact, he received Lady Byng consideration early in his career. And Wilson’s imposing to say the least.

Cody showed a ton of heart and guts to step up the way he did. I commend him for it.

Now, if Brian Burke and Ron Hextall would only get busy and add a legit physical presence or two…