It isn’t a new concept. Down 2-0 on the road, the Capitals had to win Game 3.
To do so, they needed a lucky bounce on a 2 man advantage, 5 powerplays, and the Pens to finish the game with just 10 forwards, including decapitating Crosby on just his 3rd shift of the night. And even then, they needed overtime, and an overtime powerplay to boot, to do it. All this after pissing away a 2 goal lead in the last 2 minutes with their season on the line.
That, good friends and readers, isn’t the sign of a good hockey club.
Washington will undoubtedly build off of this heading into Game 4. They got that proverbial monkey off their backs by getting a W. The Pens are still in the driver seat, even without 87. Can they win the Cup without Sid (and Letang)? Probably not. Can they get out of this series without him? Based on the sheer will and determination they showed to tie things up late last night, it’s had to bet against them.
Right now, this team will go as far as Malkin, Kessel, Fleury, and Sullivan will take them. With those guys performing as they are, you’ve gotta like their chances.
FIRST PERIOD
Let's do this. #WSHvsPIT pic.twitter.com/deh1ej4X9h
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 1, 2017
No injured bodies were missing [the start of] this one. Hornqvist, Hagelin, and Dumoulin were game-time decisions prior to puck drop and drew into the lineup. Alzner, out for being a terrible fucking hockey player a bunch of games through injury as well, returned. Caps dressed 7 D as a result.
It took just 4:25 for the storyline of the game to be written with Crosby being taken out. Sid lost his balance after Ovi two-handed him in the arm and head (no penalty because that’s totally good and fine in the playoffs), went to the ice, and Niskanen cross-checked him in the fucking head for good measure. Five minute major and a game misconduct.
https://gfycat.com/JealousUnequaledEastsiberianlaika
https://twitter.com/SteveKubitz/status/859196679395913729
He had to do something. Only other legacy he had was being Dan Bylsma’s snitch. On top of it, Eddie Olczyk tried to defend it as reactionary, accidental, and not dirty. Fuck that, fuck him, and fuck Matt Niskanen.
maybe i was super soft when i Played The Game, but my first instinct when someone was coming into me was not going into crosscheck formation
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) May 2, 2017
Biggest tell? Niskanen doesn't look down at Crosby to see if he's ok. Sign of intent to injure while trying to make like it was accidental https://t.co/FXTo4qnVmI
— Mike (@HabsLaughs) May 2, 2017
Niskanen naturally tried to defend himself after the game (kudos to him for being available to the media), saying that his stick was at Crosby’s arm level when the play started and then he lowered his head.
Now look, I’m not going to sit here and claim to know Niskanen’s intent. That’s on him. But there is more than enough history between the two, going as far back as his days in Dallas, and particularly every single time these two teams have met since Niskanen cashed on that one good season he had. So yeah, maybe it was an accident. Maybe it wasn’t. You be the judge.
UPDATE: When Tie Domi thinks it’s dirty and horseshit, well, that’s all you need to know.
" Hockey Play " Whoever uses that line on this is embarrassing to the game… pic.twitter.com/nUIDStC9tR
— Tie Domi (@thereal_tiedomi) May 2, 2017
In short, fuck Matt Niskanen with a soldering iron.
Back to the game: Pens didn’t do shit on the major powerplay, largely in part because they were without Crosby and Malkin took a dumb delay of game penalty for closing his hand on the puck for whatever reason, killing off 2 of the 5 minutes for the Caps. Then they continued to not do shit until the 2nd unit got out there at the tail end of the peep to almost make it 1-0.
https://gfycat.com/ExhaustedColorlessAmericanbulldog
The crossbar camera captured Daniel Winnik’s goal line save at the @Capitals net in the first period. #WSHvsPIT #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/NgQXoAyQyg
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 2, 2017
Thanks for coming, Karl. Probably the biggest play Dan Winnik has ever made.
Pens shortly after went down a man with Hagelin high sticking Carlson. To make matters worse, 43 seconds later, Rust knocked the puck over the glass to give the Caps a long 2 man advantage. On the 5v3 with Williams battling with Cole in front, Backstrom tried to throw the puck in front and got a double deflection off Fleury and Cole to give the Caps their first lead of the series. 1-0
https://gfycat.com/FeminineClearcutHarvestmen
Pens were able to kill off the second powerplay before any more damage was done.
Up until the last 2 minutes of regulation, Holtby was dialed in and nearly unbeatable after getting the yank in Game 2. A goal with about 2 minutes to play in the period would’ve given the Pens all the mojo they needed heading into the break. What a pass from Dumoulin to set it all up, but Rust couldn’t solve Holtby.
https://gfycat.com/UnselfishFelineElectriceel
SECOND PERIOD
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/859203604397346817
Spoiler Alert: There was no update.
Just 65 seconds into the period, Kunitz, looking like his younger self, made a great defensive play to turn the puck up ice on a 3v2 rush with Rust and Malkin. Geno swung wide and threw it towards the cage with Kunitz crashing, running over Holtby as the puck was coming in. After a voluntary referee review, they ruled it a good goal. So Trotz challenged, because apparently that’s a thing that’s allowed. Goal was taken away after the challenge despite being ruled a good goal not 2 minutes prior. What a sport.
more angles of no goal due to goalie interference pic.twitter.com/Yqwhv5GQvP
— steph (@myregularface) May 2, 2017
GIF: Kunitz, no goal. Goalie interference. pic.twitter.com/1RIvEeQ5su
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) May 2, 2017
Make no mistake, it was the right call to rule it no goal. But you literally reviewed it right before the challenge. Why in the holy fuck wasn’t the right call made initially? Whatever.
Right after that, the Caps got yet another bounce to go their way when Hornqvist, looking to eviscerate and evaporate Lars Eller, ran over Sheary instead. Rains, pours.
Sheary gets taken out by his own teammate. pic.twitter.com/XBDooKxo2N
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 2, 2017
All of this shit happened before the period was 3 minutes old. All of this without mentioning how goddamn good Fleury was again last night, committing felonies left and right.
https://gfycat.com/HarmlessDirtyGourami
Somewhere in there, too, Kunitz smoked Oshie. Definitely illegal if the hit was on anyone other than Oshie, but it was one of many things that went uncalled.
Kunitz on Oshie pic.twitter.com/9P4hq7qde4
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 2, 2017
With that going uncalled and the Caps already getting a plethora of PPs, the Pens would get theirs in the middle 3rd of the period with Orpik going off for holding and Kuznetsov going off twice for being a rat bastard. Pens didn’t do shit with any of their chances. Just couldn’t get things clicking without 87.
Then, right after the 3rd kill, that little rat almost made it 2-0, but Fleury and Hornqvist remarkable saves to keep it out. One of those plays that words can’t describe. Fleury, man.
https://gfycat.com/WelllitPlushFawn
Dude’s just having the time of his life on his final ride.
https://gfycat.com/TenseEasygoingDassie
THIRD PERIOD
Just 2:28 into the final frame, Olli Maatta put the Pens back behind the 8-ball by cross-checking Burakovsky from behind. Bad penalty to take, but Dad was lurking shorthanded. Of all the things to go uncalled in the game, especially late, this one was perhaps the most egregious.
GIF: Cullen hooked. No call. pic.twitter.com/sYABSr6DXc
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) May 2, 2017
Right after the kill, Kunitz drilled Backstrom late behind the play to draw an interference penalty. As the Pens were chasing down the puck, Malkin blasted Winnik from behind too. Pens would’ve gone down 2 men for a full two minutes, but the risky shitlord Tom Wilson went after 71 to negate one of the two penalties. Washington still got a powerplay out of it, which the Pens were able to thwart. They used it to generate some looks of their own, but at the 9:46 mark, Kuznetsov would nearly finish the game off from an odd-man rush. 2-0
https://gfycat.com/UnhappyCompassionateBactrian
Unrealistic patience from the kid. MAF probably saves that if he one-times it, but that poise to recognize he had time to hold it you just don’t teach.
But even without two of their big 4, this Penguins team will not die. With just over two minutes to play, HCMS got Fleury out of the cage for the extra skater. Geno smash to cut the lead in half with 1:53 to play. 2-1
https://gfycat.com/TornGraciousDanishswedishfarmdog
And 48 seconds later, again with MAF on the bench, 71 put it on a platter for Schultz to blast it and tie this shit up in the dying moments. 2-2
https://gfycat.com/WhichDarlingAfricanrockpython
https://gfycat.com/BareDismalAfricanparadiseflycatcher
Phil’s celly is everything.
OVERTIME
After all of that drama and excitement, the Caps got themselves a powerplay 2:40 into the overtime period after Daley hauled down Marcus Johansson on an almost breakaway. It was a penalty, no doubt, but if you’re going to stare at the Ovechkin slash, the Kunitz hit on Oshie, and the Shattenkirk hook on Cullen and swallow the your whistles, show a little consistency. Not asking for much here.
And, of course, Shattenkirk ended it, despite not getting a single shift in the last 3 minutes of regulation because he’s a liability. 3-2
https://gfycat.com/OrangeReliableDodobird
https://twitter.com/AnthraxJones/status/859203568527708160
Game.
NOTES
- Crosby has made all the headlines this postseason while Malkin has quietly put up 15 points in 8 games.
- Just knew Holtby was gonna bounce back in this one. Perfect storm for the Pens.
- Crosby and Sheary were to be “evaluated overnight” according to HCMS. Hope for some good news.
@penguins Lil out of shape but available 👊🏼#gopens
— Arron Asham (@TheRealAsham45) May 2, 2017
- Best game from a possession standpoint the Pens played so far this series, only attempting 10 less shots than the Caps this time around (45-35). Scoring chances also favored the caps at 5v5, 25-17. Washington got a lot more chances down low than usual, while the Pens were kept to the perimeter a lot more than usual. We’ll see if this becomes a trend.
Game 4 Wednesday. Bury them. Go Pens.
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