Penguins/NHL
A Sign of a Stanley Cup Type team?
Eric Fehr’s late goal in the third period with 4:28 left in regulation secured a Penguins 2-1 victory in Game 2 as the series shifts to Pittsburgh tied 1-1.
The Penguins grinding out this victory played out like so many others in the past between these two organizations where the Penguins are 7-1 all-time vs Washington in playoff series’.
In a game Pittsburgh dominated in the first two periods, out-shooting Washington 28-10, and out-attempting Washington 63-25 after forty minutes, yet, the Penguins only held a 1-0 lead despite five power play opportunities.
The third period was so Washington when it comes to their haunted playoff past of not getting over the hump.
Washington for the first time in the game, began to find their game minutes into the third. The ice was finally tilting in their direction and a Marcus Johansson power play goal, 4:08 into the third tied the game at 1-1.
Braden Holtby gave them a chance to steal one by keeping the game close through the first two periods and the puck was on their stick several times in the third period with grade-A chances to pull ahead.
Alex Ovechkin 2-on-1 with under 10 minutes, Burakovsky can’t get it upstairs on Murray
Nicklas Backstrom 2-on-1 with 8:58 remaining, Matt Murray shuts the door.
Alex Ovechkin point blank chance in front with 7:12 remaining, save by Murray
With 6 minutes remaining in the third, no better chance was missed than Mike Richards with a wide open attempt in front from 20 ft out. A glorious chance that was shot wide off a beautiful setup from Jason Chimera.
What happens next?
Exactly a 1:32 later from Richards missing the net, Eric Fehr redirects a pass from Evgeni Malkin past Braden Holtby for the go-ahead goal.
Prior to the finish by Fehr, Malkin wins a puck battle by lifting the stick of a tired Ovechkin on a long-shift, than Fehr goes to the net and gets inside position on Brooks Orpik for the goal.
Series are won and lost in these type of games. From Pittsburgh’s standpoint, a Stanley Cup type team finds a way to close it out when they were the superior team for the bulk of the game.
They got the job done in a situation where things were favoring the Capitals in period three. From Washington’s standpoint, if they don’t win this series I think they’ll be looking back to this one.
As bad as they played in the first two periods, they put themselves in great position to win a game they didn’t deserve but just couldn’t get that second one past Matt Murray. Interesting enough the game was in the hands of their best players for a handful of their grade-A chances.
Tonight it was Pittsburgh getting the clutch play that happens so often when these two organizations get together, this time from a former Capital in Eric Fehr.
Matt Murray’s play in the third period also can’t get overlooked. He made 14 saves, several outstanding ones and his positioning on shot attempts played a part in the Capitals missing wide.
“It was a challenging game [hide] in the sense that he [Matt Murray] didn’t see a lot of shots early,” said Mike Sulivan. “And then in the third period, obviously they pressed and he saw significantly more action in the third than he saw in the first two periods. I thought his focus was really good and when we needed him to be good down the stretch, he made that timely save for us.”[/hide]
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but somehow I still am with all the praise Murray is getting from last night’s game. He wasn’t bad by any means but he prevailed mostly on puck luck and was far from great. He was saved by a bone head play from Burakovsky that negated a goal that was going to be scored regardless of the interference, he had another get behind him and clank of the post and he was later bailed out by Richards who just shanked a shot that should have easily scored on an empty net, could have just… Read more »
I also left out the 2on1 save that was a result of the shooter not getting the puck up which again would have been another easy goal that was negated by shooter error not goalie play.
I think you’re being a bit too critical of him. You’ve been saying he’s been getting lucky all playoffs and it’s just not true. He’s good. He’s been playing well outside of game 1 this series. I’m not sure what more you want the guy to do. You knocked him the game before saying that “if Ovy would’ve lifted the puck, he would’ve scored”. Well, you can say that type of thing about almost every shot. “If they would have shot the puck somewhere where the goalie wasn’t, it would’ve went in”. Yeah no $hit.
You’re starting to sound like sam talking about Malkin.
Jaydogg just loves to hear his own voice, or in this case, read his own writing…Maybe if he gave his wife what she needs instead of trying to be “The Man” on some Penguins affiliated website, he would go further in life 🙂
He made the saves he’s supposed to make and actually made a couple saves that should have been goals, so all in all, a good performance. I think as jay says, if the washintgon shooters would have been on, they would have lit him up for 4 goals at least…but thankfully they were not.
Also, as I said in the previous thread, his glove hand is way too slow and other teams know it. Nash, Oshie and again last night on the shot that hit the post, they’re going high glove and his reaction time to the shot is concerning.
You are such a tool
You sure talk a lot. Most of it is just garbage. Man, I feel sorry for your wife. She’s probably screaming inside for you to shut the hell up…
The puck was gone, regardless of all the variables involved. It was late and targeted
Trotz said There was a size differential (both are 6’2″) and that Maatta was leaning. Trotz is retarded.
What’s worse is that Trotz didn’t allow Orpik to talk to the media after the game, you would think that with Orpik just coming back from a similar situation he would have the best insight on the matter.
Please in the eyes of the NHL, the Maatta hit will at worst get a 1 game ban like foul langue did to Shaw. This is what happens when you let players decide the game. Words can get you banned for 1 game because people with sensitive ears, but possibly ending a players career like Wilson or Orpik will get praise as playoff hockey.
Brooks has a history of dirty hits….he’s probably getting 2-3 max. No way he sees 5.
Had Orpik got a game misconduct as well ( appropriate) Letang would not have had his head almost torn off by Orpik elbow. NHL Player Safety is a joke.
If the league does not suspend him for that hit, something is wrong. Completely a late hit and a target to the head. “This is the hit the players want out of the league”….well then why the hell do they continue to do it?
The big question is was the orpik hit intentional or is he truly a step slow at everything now and this is what transpired. He always played on the edge. Only time he crossed the line like this was when he boarded erik cole. Hope this does not impact maatta long-term that dude has the worst luck ever.