Playoff Gameday: Round 2 Game 5

Gameday_Round2_Game5

PITTSBURGH VS WASHINGTON

VERIZON CENTER – WASHINGTON, DC

7:15 PM EST. NBC

PITTSBURGH LEADS SERIES 3-1

Folks, it is with a heavy heart I must inform you that the Caps are at it again.

On the verge of elimination from another spring, after capturing yet another President’s Trophy, the Washington Capitals are bailing the water out of their sinking ship with shot glasses.

Barry Trotz showing his ass has been an under played reason why the Caps are in this mess. Going to Grubauer in game 2 and then immediately giving up 2 meh goals, getting in a pissing match with Rob Rossi after blowing a 2 goal lead and trying to defend Niskanen and now this is the cherry on top.

Ideally what Trotz wants is to try and balance out the scoring in his lineup, but what he’s missing is the message it sends to both his own team and his opponent. These moves can work in the regular season, in a 7 game series, however, this screams, “Listen guys I don’t know what the fuck to do, so ummm I dunno let’s just move things around.”

Trotz has also now saddled John Carlson with the task of dragging Brooks Orpik’s dead, lifeless carcass around the ice.

Barry Trotz the professional hockeyman.

*Narrator’s Voiceover* “Meanwhile, back in Pittsburgh.”

https://twitter.com/SynonymForWet/status/860517383974158337

Crosby and Sheary both went through a full practice with full-contact Friday. Now, this still is just protocol for both of them, but it’s certainly an encouraging sign that seems to point to both being available Saturday.

All of a sudden Pens fans be like

Playoff Gameday: Round 2 Game 5

Lines: Talked about most of this already. The Caps are gonna keep rolling 7 D. Carl Hagelin was on the 4th line during line rushes at Friday’s practice doing his best Miro Satan impression. All lines from Friday’s practices so don’t shoot the messenger if 87 doesn’t play.

Pittsburgh:

Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist

Kunitz-Malkin-Kessel

Sheary-Bonino-Rust

Hagelin-Cullen-Kuhnhackl

Dumoulin-Hainsey

Cole-Schultz

Maatta-Daley

Fleury-Jarry

Washington:

Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie

Johansson-Kuznetsov-Williams

Ovechkin-Eller-Wilson

Winnik-Beagle

Orlov-Niskanen

Orpik-Carlson

Schmidt-Shattenkirk

Alzner

Holtby-Grubauer

First two games of the series at the Verizon Center brought on hell in a cell first periods. The Pens could be emotionally buoyed by the return of 87 or they could be back to rope-a-dope hockey we don’t really know. Either way though it doesn’t matter.

Going back to the building where they #rockthered the Caps are panicked, shook from another loss against another depleted Pens team. Their only win in the series coming about as cheap as Justin Williams tips. All that’s left to do is to add on to the misery of our favorite miserable franchise.

Wear black. We’re going to a funeral.

https://twitter.com/AnthraxJones/status/860150702223618049

Do it.

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