Capitals 5 – Penguins 2
The series is heading to a seventh game and all of the momentum is with the home team Wednesday night.
The Washington Capitals put on a mockery of the Penguins Monday night at the PPG Paints Arena in a dominant 5-2 victory.
Washington held Pittsburgh to eight shots through the first 40 minutes of the game and scored three times on their first 17 shots, the dagger being an odd-man rush goal from Nicklas Backstrom 16 seconds into the third period that buried the hapless Penguins tonight.
A good way to sum up the Penguins performance was lifeless but credit goes to the Capitals.
They executed a great game plan and the Capitals beat the Penguins in every facet and frustrated the Penguins throughout.
For the first time in the Mike Sullivan era, the opposition looks to be in the Penguins heads and Pittsburgh being the team that’s doubting themselves and as normally happens in a seven game series, the longer the series goes on, the more likely it is that the better team emerges.
The Penguins are still the defending Stanley Cup Champions, have that resiliency factor about them where you don’t want to bet against them (until the Capitals prove it) but this Penguins team is starting to crack in a lot of areas.
The defense is being exposed like many expected, Marc Andre Fleury is reverting back to Marc Andre Fleury and the Capitals with their neutral zone trap are neutralizing the Penguins forwards to get clean zone entries that haunted the Penguins offensive attack tonight.
If you want something positive going into Game 7, all of the pressure will be on the Capitals to finally get it done and the Penguins have the high-end talent upfront where they just need one shot to make you pay, so let’s not plan the funeral for the 2016-2017 Penguins just yet but the Penguins playing with fire all postseason looks to be finally catching up to them.
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Did anyone tell Sam the final score? You know he turned his TV off pretty early last night.
He likes to look at the SI swimsuit addition before bed, hoping to get a glimpse of some nip.
Hes French. Im sure its much, much weirder than that.
Not a bad result
For 2 minutes of actual effort
Last I checked the game is a 60 min game not 2 mins
Last you checked….
Last I checked Sid has been missing since game 2.
It really is hard to win a series when “the best player in the world” is out for 4 games.
you mean when he “was taken out”
So last spring, when MAF missed 1 and a half months or so due to concussion, why was he not given the benefit of this excuse?
The last 2 minutes were the only time they looked like they cared about the game…
I didn’t think I’d have to actually explain this to you SimpleSam
No miracle needed… the Pens just have to come out and play with more desperation and intensity. They can’t wait for a lucky goal. Enough with the dump and chase crap. Carry the puck, make smarter passes and shoot the damn puck! All this fancy crap isn’t gonna work. Out work the Caps and draw some penalties.
And please God give Fleury some help because his glove is basically useless.
Yeah. Fleury needs help.
I dont expect Fleury to post a shutout every game. But the timing of a few of the goals he’s given up have just been backbreakers. Late period goals and a goal to start the 3rd period 30 seconds in can completely burry any momentum a team has gained. The Pens as a team need to play much better in front of him or they will be golfing Thursday morning. Maybe the best defense is a good offense. And right now our star players are giving away too many chances to shoot and are trying to get fancy. Just shoot… Read more »
You’re right. Someone should tell the D to break down at more opportune times.
3 goals from 2 on 1s and 2 on the PP… you take all the time you need to figure out what the problem was last night!
I said this not long ago, you are as reactionary as the next. MAF wasn’t as good in the last 2 as he had been prior but I imagine he has tired from carrying the team through both rounds. By the time it was 3 – 0, only one of which you can look at him (despite the 2 on 1) it was meaningless!
I disagree – he wasn’t as good – but also, playing at a .935 sv pct clip is not sustainable, and shouldn’t be what’s expected for you to win a series. When you give a team like the caps time and space, they’re going to bury the puck. It has nothing to do with MAF having some perceived weak glove. He has anything, but. I do agree that CM is about as reactionary as they come.
Looked like fleury moved out of the damn way on a couple goals. LeChoke
Sullivan was a stubborn jackass. Line combinations were terrible and he would not change them till it was too late. Jake and Sid have something. Guentzel-Crosby-Kunitz. Kessel-Malkin-Rust. Horni-Bonino-Hagelin. Kuhnhackle-Cullen-Wilson. Sheary looks lost out there. Roll with your best lines for the game that will define you as a coach. Lose game 7 and game 6 will be looked upon as the beginning of the end for Sullivan. Choke job!
I like those lines. I agree Sid needs to be with Jake. Sheary was worthless tonight.
Everyone was worthless.
Line combinations had zero to do with what happened tonight.
I wonder if Dejan’s starting to get nervous…he’s been writing snarky columns all series…Karma is a biitch
time for zero to cut and paste.
I have far more respect for you, yoda, who just posts “blah blah blah st. blurry your saint fart noise” 20 times a day. Knowledge!
Like yoda – serious comment – it has to chap your asss sitting there knowing Zero understands the game 10x better than you ever will. Like, that has to bruise your fragile ego.
You still don’t understand your role in that and it still eats you up and I looooove it! Moron
BoxScore, did you turn off your Ap..I need a ride home from th game
What you need is a ride to get a new toilet brush. I’m sure someone can help you. I don’t want you getting your wife’s runny dump water all over my leather.
Wow some of you call yourself a Pens fan. Some of you, and you know who I’m talking about, should be ashamed of yourselves. Quit on your team before they drop the puck for game 7. Like the Badger said, you can lose 3 games in a series and still win it. I’m sure the ones I’m referring to will have to google the Badger. F off you quitters! These losers need blocked after we win game 7.
Miracles can happen and the pens could pull it off. However, you can only take so many body checks before you can’t move. The pens seemed gassed to me.
Yeah we all know how big of a Pens fan you are! Dude you are a typical Yinzer. You love lose and you love it more because Fleury is supposedly failing, by your standards. How do you live with your miserable self. I would hate to be you.
dont you think you’re taking this a little hard mstar…
No I just can’t take when Yoda acts like he’s a Pens fan. Him and Sam really aren’t. I’m pretty sure you are, but your just a crap disturber. I am amused by your posts though.
That’s awesome Mstar…was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl habor!
Germans? Forget it he’s on a roll. Let’s do it!!!!
Hey Yoda. Yes fleury was shitt tonight maybe average on some occasions tonight. but trust me if fleury was shittt tonight the team in front of him was wayyyy worst. All 6 D were garbage. Sheary and hbk line
And sid.
They were all bad but I just named a bunch of names worst then fleury since Yoda only finds fleury at fault
That’s what I wrote.
Hard to believe Ron Hainsey’s never played in the playoffs before..
In fairness to Sheary and the HBK line their role was so significant last year that it would be nice of someone else could help em out while they struggle to find that game don’t you think sammich?
Look at D he usually has instant buzz minute pens lose. But tonight his excitement is thought the roof that he quickly had this news
As much as I want pens to win the cup. Fuckk them. they deserve to lose the series. They been playing with fire since game 1 Vs jackets. Every game being sloppy at first and thank to fleury they were winning games. This was due sooner or later this was going to happen. let’s hope tonight game is a wake up call and if they will decide to play like the previous 11 games chances are pens will be out. They really need their A) game enough with the dumb penalties. And for the record that HBK line was garbage… Read more »
Is reverting back to Marc Andre Fleury! What a fucking hack. Let me ask you a question D… ignoring the fact the had 9 long distance or bad angle shots through two had Murray been in the net do you believe that the listless play would have been overturned by superior tending that we apparently never got from MAF! How many goals tonight were odd man? PP? I’ll give you a hint, every last one of them. Two PP goals and three odd man (2on1 rushes) are what put the Caps up. So please explain that part of the article.… Read more »
I look at MAF on goal 2 but even that was yet another fucken 2 on 1. What a hack!
Zero. You’d understand if MAF stole your asss cherry. Yoda is a jaded little lover.
there you go again. did you read what i wrote? i’m not blaming the saint. they have all sucked equally because they are midgets who got the $$$hit kicked out of them. they have nothing left to give. pray for a miracle. the saint performed 3 already in his career. lets hope he has a 4th.
You just called for Murray you little maggot. I read what you wrote. Now go tend to your asss abrasions like a good little catcher.
zero, don’t say the saint was great these past two games. in the past two elimination games his save percentage is .847. i’m not blaming the saint and i’m yoda. i’m just saying, he isn’t playing like he was in the beginning of the series when he stole a few. he has come back to earth. that being said, the entire team has nothing left in the tank. even if the saint stood on his head tonight the pens weren’t going to win.
He fucked you so hard. So hard that you have no idea what you’re watching. None.
that 2nd goal was kind of pathetic and he did put up a .808 tonight. don’t say the saint was good. he sucked with the rest of them.
I never said he was good overall you illiterate fucken moron but he was hung out to dry by this team tonight. The primary reason this team even has three wins in this series is because of MAF… they need to win one for him!
#.847 are hall of fame numbers and hall of fame worthy. give me a break. stop apologizing. throughout his career, the bigger the moment, the more his save % takes a nose dive. tell me his save % in the beginning of the series and tell me what it is in the elimination games. i was trying to be nice but now you are going to make me say it. the saint is a choker. they aren’t going to win with him in the net. go ahead and blame everyone else but the fact is he isn’t going to come… Read more »
.921 isn’t too shabby now though isnt it. You are so ass backwards. You cherry pick one offs and neglect trends in order to serve your own view point. I am not sure what the hell you are watching but the way the Penguins have played in the last 2 games can you honestly say that they would have closed this series had Murray been in net?
Pens can still win game 7 if they get Sid back
you mean if they get matt murray back
No. I don’t.
Let’s hope the caps choke. That’s the pens only hope.
Garbage news didn’t even waste time to come up with this news
In D’s defense, he probably started writing this midway through the 2nd.
fruitbat