NY won three of four to close out that series in six games.
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If Nashville learned one lesson from the Game 1 loss it might have been the importance of staying out of the penalty box. In theory, each one has to cover 4,250 feet. “That injury to [Dmitry] Orlov in the previous series [could have been] career-ending”, he said of the hit by Pierre-Edourd Bellemare that earned the Flyers forward a one-game suspension. Again, no penalty was called.
Explaining their decision to suspend Orpik, the Department of Player Safety said, “This hit is forceful, unacceptably high and excessively late”. They have responded well to the pressure from the Capitals, refusing to retaliate after Orpik’s hit to Maatta and cranking up the pressure after the Penguins took a 1-0 lead on a power play goal.
A three-game suspension during a playoff series is harsh.
Maatta looked dazed after being helped off the ice by his teammates on Saturday, and a concussion is not out of the question.
Pietrangelo’s minutes stand out even more given he’s not on the first power play unit, duty that’s not usually as taxing as regular shifts.
Maybe, but twice in two games the Capitals have delivered blows that crossed the threshold between aggressive and illegal, though defenseman Matt Niskanen thinks the series still has a long way to go to match the ugly tenor of Washington’s victory over Philadelphia in the conference quarterfinals. “We’ve got guys that can fill his role”.
It’s a fast game.
Will that result in more penalties?
Here’s is the NHL’s explanation of the suspension. Justin Williams has no goals in the postseason, and Alex Ovechkin has yet to find the scoreboard as well.
The Capitals have been pounding Letang with their forecheck, but he is still getting the puck out of Pittsburgh’s zone. The Sharks led the National Hockey League with 28 road wins and swept all three in Los Angeles in the first round, giving the team plenty of confidence. Bonino dug out a puck in the corner, skated behind the net and fed Hagelin, who had streaked down the slot to the front of the net.
The fastest line of the game was Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel and the Capitals had no answer. He often is paired with John Carlson and they match up against the opponent’s top offensive players.
But his value is enhanced the deeper the Capitals go in the playoffs.
Will Olli Maatta be out for Game 3?
Orpik has also been a key member of the PK, which probably means more minutes for Chorney and Schmidt in that situation, which could be to the Pens advantage.
Players such as Sheary, Brian Rust, Brian Dumoulin, Murray and Tom Kuhnhackl, guys that were in the minors at the start of the season, helped fuel the surge. He played a game-high 35 minutes when Maatta’s exit left the Penguins short a defenseman.
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Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) blocks a shot during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators in Pittsburgh, Thursday, March 31, 2016.
