“We just have to keep playing the same way and get the puck deep into their end”, Hornqvist said.
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Looking to avoid falling into a 3-1 series hole, Holtby and the Capitals should respond with their best effort in Game 4. “That’s how you create momentum”.
The Penguins surged in the second, grabbing the lead less than four minutes in on Cullen’s third of the playoffs.
“They were terrific, the whole group of them”, Coach Mike Sullivan said of his defensive corps. He has one goal and seven points in the playoffs, according to USA Today.
On the season, the Capitals are averaging 3.0 goals per game and ranking fifth in power play with 21.9 percent.
Was the Flyers’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare showing Washington’s Dmitry Orlov “respect” when he tried to put the head of the Capitals defenceman through the SAP sign that is splashed on the boards at Philly’s Wells Fargo Center with a hit-from-behind in the first round, an infraction that netted Bellemare a one-game suspension? “(Letang) is probably our most important player”.
This isn’t to say the Capitals won’t win Game 5 on Saturday. “Last year, obviously we were winning 3-1 and lost the series, so we have to take it as experience and turn it around in our way”.
“I definitely think I feel a little more and more comfortable and a little better and better the more that I play”, Murray said. “I got lucky a couple of times, but I’m pretty happy with my game today and I thought I competed really hard”.
It’s time to take the Pittsburgh Penguins seriously as Stanley Cup contenders. He had a similar message two days later.
“That’s why it’s (called) sudden death”, said Trotz. “Now we have to stick with it. We haven’t done anything yet”. “I think you understand that when you have a team in that position you have to take advantage of it and take advantage of that opportunity”. Pittsburgh will be getting Letang back for Game 5.
Options like Patric Hornqvist – who scored the overtime game-winner in Game 4 – and Matt Cullen are keeping Pittsburgh’s offense firing while Murray has been spectacular when he’s needed to be.
That’s impressive considering how badly Washington’s top line beat up on Pittsburgh’s through the first two periods.
Before Game 4, the water-cooler talk wasn’t so much about whether the Capitals would win and tie the series at 2-2 as it was about by how big a margin.
Shea Weber scored the go-ahead goal and had an assist, and the host Predators beat the Sharks 4-1 in Game 3 late Tuesday to cut the series deficit to 2-1. Sidney Crosby battled with Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen in front of the crease, allowing Daley’s slap shot to sneak past Holtby after bouncing off Karl Alzner. Orpik was suspended for three games for that hit on Maatta.
Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang will also miss Game 4 after being handed a one-game suspension for a hit on Marcus Johansson in Game 3.
Two years ago, the Penguins blew a 3-1 series lead against the Rangers in a second-round series.
Brian Dumoulin was paired with Ben Lovejoy on Wednesday morning, while Derrick Pouliot, who played his first career playoff game on Monday, was connected with Trevor Daley, the 32-year-old who is second to Letang in minutes this post-season.
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Letang has played the majority of this series, approximately 24 minutes at even strength, facing the trio of Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J.
